Father
by Lord Talon
Summary: An unexpected crisis brings Shinji's and Asuka's feeling for each other out in the open. Can these two pilots faces the challenges before them that make the Angels seem tame? ShinjiAsuka pairing
1. Chapter 1

Father

Part One.

Asuka woke up with a killer headache. It wasn't the first time, in fact it was the third morning in a row._ "I wonder if this is how Misato feels whenever she gets up after a night of drinking,"_ she thought to herself, reeling a bit as her feet hit the floor. The only problem with that thought was she that didn't drink last night, or any other previous night.

_"Well, there was that one time…"_ she thought, remembering that one night a couple of months ago. A blush quickly rose to her cheeks as she tried to push that thought aside, staggering to her feet and leaving her room. The hallway seemed crooked as she slowly made her way to the kitchen, finding Shinji there cooking breakfast as usual. Normally, the smell of his breakfasts were enough to send her stomach rumbling, even though she would never admit that to him. Today, something was different.

"Morning, Asuka," he cheerfully greeted her as he continued to stir whatever was in the frying pan. "How would you like your eggs this morning?"

That was the worst question anyone had ever asked her._ "Could he not smell it?"_ she wondered, _"That smell! Those eggs must be rotten! And he expects us to eat them?!"_ Suddenly, she got really queasy. Her hands covered her mouth as she rushed to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She continued this for several minutes before she realized someone was standing behind her, rubbing her back and keeping her hair out of the toilet.

"Oh, god," she moaned as she finally relaxed and sat back on her heels. "Thanks, Misato," she said weakly.

"Uh, I'm not Misato, but you're welcome anyway," the reply came back.

"Shinji?" she exclaimed , surprised by the normally shy boy's actions. She turned and saw the concern in his eyes. Those same eyes she could get lost in, if she wasn't careful, and cause her to melt. "Wha…?"

"Sorry," he replied, "but I was worried about you. I know you hate help, but you looked like you really needed it."

"S'okay," she murmured back, "but now I need to clean up. So get out!" Some of the fire was starting to come back to her eyes. Shinji smiled back at her.

"When you're done, come back to the kitchen, I'll have some toast ready for you," he said as he started to leave the bathroom.

"Toast?!" she barked back.

"Yes, toast," Shinji replied as he slowly closed the door, "best thing for a sour stomach." Asuka fumed for a second, thinking about eggs when another wave of nausea hit.

"Okay, so toast it is," she told her stomach as she stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the muscle aches and pains.

Shinji walked back into the kitchen when a voice from behind called out "So, how's she doing?"

"Arrrrgh!" Shinji yelled as he spun around and saw his other roommate standing behind him. His heart was racing like it wanted to tear from his chest.

"Damn it, Misato! Don't do that!" he gasped, taking huge gulps of air as his body did it's best to metabolize the **huge** amounts of adrenaline that now swept through his veins.

"Sorry," she said teasingly as she sat down. Shinji gave her the usual morning cup of tea. Not as good as beer, but she had promised Kaji she would cut down on her drinking. "Seriously, how is she doing?"

"She's not feeling well," Shinji replied as he cracked open two eggs for Misato's breakfast, "she hasn't called me 'idiot' once."

"Hmm, must be serious," she smirked over the rim of her cup. Shinji hadn't seen her eyes this clear in the mornings, ever.

"I'm serious, Misato! This is the third day in a row," he replied as Misato saw how concerned he really was. "Maybe you should take her to see the doctor today."

"Love to, kiddo, but I have a ton of work that has to be finished today," the Major answered, "Tell you what! I'll make the appointment for this morning and you can take her!"

"Somehow, I don't think Asuka would feel up to a ride on my motorcycle," the young man said as he thought of how he was going to get a sick Asuka to sit behind him and hold his waist as he drove through the streets of Tokyo-3.

"No silly," Misato added as she tossed Shinji the keys to her car, "I'll take the bike!"

"Oh lord, no!" he said sullenly. "Do you know how hard it was to fix the _last_ time you borrowed it?"

"I was drunk then," Misato said absentmindedly, "but I'm sober now! See! Okay!"

"I don't know if that makes it better or worse," he muttered as Misato stuck her tongue out at him.

"Why is Misato taking your bike, Shinji?" a young redhead asked as she plopped down into her chair and started to munch on the dry toast he put in front of her. Amazingly, she did start to feel a little better. Maybe that little turd knew what he was talking about.

"Because he's taking you in the car," was the reply.

"Cool! Going to school in the car! I knew I was glad you got your license for some reason! You may actually be of some use for a change!" smirked Asuka, who then felt a bit bad about the hurt look in his eyes.

"Uh, no, we're not going to school today…" Shinji started.

"Yeah! The Mall!" Asuka cheered as she downed her third piece of toast.

"Not the Mall, either. I'm taking you to see the doctor," he added with a bit of finality.

"Three…two…one…" Misato mumbled.

"Whaaaaat?! The doctor?! Why! I'm in perfect health, you idiot!" Asuka screamed as Shinji calmly deflected a piece of toast hurled at his face.

"Asuka! Be reasonable!" Shinji pleaded as the young German kept getting wound up. "This is the third morning in a row. You're not well and you need to see the doctor! I'm worried about you!"

"_He's worried about me?"_ Asuka thought incredulously,_ "He cares enough to worry? I wonder if…"_ she pushed that last thought from her mind as her defensive barriers came up. She opened her mouth to let him know that there was nothing to worry about and that she didn't _need_ him to take care of her when Misato chimed in.

"Yeah, maybe it's morning sickness," she said sweetly as she finished off her breakfast.

"WHAT?!" both teenagers said simultaneously, blushing furiously and turning on her as one. "Shut up, Misato!"

"_That sync training really paid off"_ the violet haired woman thought. "Oh, come on!" she teased, "you're both teenagers, living in the same house, by yourselves quite often. You mean to tell me that you never once…"

"No! Don't be ridiculous!" again in unison. Both turned an interesting shade of red.

"_Ha! Both of you have at least thought about it,"_ she mused at seeing their reactions. She grinned as they both turned shame-faced toward each other and then quickly away. "Shinji, call the school and let them know you both will be out today, I'll call the doctor."

"Yes ma'am," came the reply as Shinji left the table. Asuka continued to sit there, fuming.

_"Morning sickness? Ha! As if!"_

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"MORNING SICKNESS?!?!?!" a very agitated redhead screamed as she leapt from the table, ready to beat the hell out of the doctor that had just gave her the news.

"Yes, morning sickness, Miss Soryu. You are two months pregnant. Congratulations!" the doctor said quietly as he expected his patient to calm down, which she definitely was _not_ doing.

"But…but that's impossible!!" Asuka screamed back.

"Trust me, you are most definitely pregnant. While I don't condone two teenagers having intercourse, I do tend to overlook it. This world needs to be repopulated, after all. I've already had my nurse go out and tell your boyfriend, if that's alright?"

"My boyfriend? Shinji?" Asuka said, somewhat dazed. "Oh, he's not my boyfriend, just my roommate." However, the idea of Shinji being her boyfriend wasn't nearly as upsetting as once it might have been.

"Oh! My mistake!" the doctor replied, "He seemed very nice, I just assumed…" At that exact same moment, a loud yell followed by an even louder thump reverberated through the doors.

"Excuse me, doctor?" a nurse peeked around the door, "We need some smelling salts out here! Miss Soryu's boyfriend has passed out!"

"Shinji?!" Asuka cried out as she rushed from the room and found the young man passed out in the middle of the waiting room. She fell to her knees and placed his head in her lap. "_This is stupid! If anyone needs comfort, it's me!"_ she thought.

"Asuka?" Shinji said groggily as she gently stroked his hair, "I just had the weirdest dream…"

"It's not a dream," she said softly, "It's a damn nightmare!" Asuka looked down into his eyes, and saw them filled with sadness, confusion, and…betrayal? She noticed the wet spots forming on his cheeks and see that he's not crying.

Reaching up, Shinji gently caressed her cheek. "It's going to be alright," he said as she broke down and hugged him tightly, sobbing uncontrollable. Shinji wrapped his arms around her and held her gently until the tears stopped.

"Hmm, if he's not, he should be," the doctor muttered as his nurse nodded her head in agreement.

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The two teenagers sat quietly in the living room, trying to watch TV and doing their best to keep their minds off what was soon to occur. They knew that Misato was going to get a copy of the medical report, seeing how she was their guardian and commanding officer. Shinji was doing everything he could to make Asuka comfortable, which was driving the German girl crazy. Ever since they left the doctor's office, he had grown very protective of her. He had even set a couple of beers on the table, ready for Misato as soon as she came in. He knew that she would need them, even though she was trying to cut back.

Shinji and Asuka gulped nervously as they heard the door slide open. "You two. Kitchen. NOW." the Major commanded as the teenagers quickly got up and shuffled to the kitchen. Asuka's head was bowed, refusing to even look up and her guardian. Shinji, on the other hand, held his head high, and gave Misato a look that threw the woman. It screamed: _Watch it!_

Misato sat at the table, looking at the beer before her. Grateful to Shinji, she did one of the hardest things she had ever done: she pushed them aside. Glaring at the redhead, she saw the red puffy eyes and the defeated look on her face. Misato's heart softened a bit at Asuka's state, but was still puzzled at Shinji's reaction. A look of absolute and total concern was plastered on his face as he gazed at Asuka across from him.

"How?" Misato asked quietly, trying to remain calm, "How can you two be so reckless? Do you have any idea what is at stake here? Do you understand what you have done?" Asuka started to bawl again. Shinji's jaw set in a hard line.

"Misato, you don't know what you're talking about," Shinji said grimly, shooting daggers into the violet haired woman.

"Excuse me?" Misato shot back, trying to stare Shinji back down and failing miserably.

"Shinji's not the father…" Asuka said softly, trying to take the heat off the young man, sniffling as she tried to stem the flow of tears. Shinji looked a bit sad at this.

"If Shinji's not, just who the hell is?!" yelled Misato, causing Asuka to cringe. Shinji shot to his feet, fists clinched tight.

"Don't yell at her," he growled as Shinji's eyes burned with an intensity that Misato had never seen. He looked ready to take a swing at his guardian.

"Shinji, it's okay," Asuka said gently as she reached over and placed her hand over his fist. The result was immediate, as the young man visibly relaxed and sat back down. Misato was surprised at Asuka's actions. As far as she knew, the young girl would have never let anyone come to her defense, let alone hold that person's hand.

"I don't know who the father is, Misato," Asuka said sadly, "I don't ever remember having sex! Ever!" Misato could see the truth in her eyes and hear it in her voice.

"Okay, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions," Misato said as she tried to defuse the situation. She swore Shinji looked ready to explode any second. "This is just…the situation…oh god, I'd don't know what to think!"

"How do you think we feel?" Shinji added as he looked longingly at Asuka.

"_We?"_ Misato thought before continuing. "Okay, you're pregnant, but you say you don't ever remember having sex? What can you remember?"

"Not much," Asuka began, "The only thing I can sort of remember is a disturbing dream." The dream really wasn't disturbing before, she actually enjoyed it. But this was an entirely different situation. "It was just a dream."

"Alright. First thing tomorrow, I'm taking you to see Dr. Akagi to have a full checkup to see to the health of you and the baby. We can proceed from there. How far along are you?"

"Two months," Shinji said. Misato couldn't read his thoughts.

"Crap, that puts it right around the time of the Christmas party," the Major mused, as a sudden wave of guilt hit her. "If I hadn't had that stupid party…"

"It's not your fault, Misato," Asuka replied as she cast a sympathetic look toward her, "you never knew anything like this would happen!" Shinji wasn't so sure, though. It was after that party that Kaji asked Misato to cut back on her drinking.

"Shinji, if you would," Misato asked as a very large and painful lump formed in her throat, " please dump all the shit in the fridge down the sink. Please?" Misato started to cry now, guilt washing over her and her horrible addiction. "No more…"

Asuka got up and, doing something that totally would have shocked anyone who knew her, wrapped her arms around Misato and held the older woman and joined her in a good cry. Shinji's heart broke at seeing the two most important women in his life in such pain, and walked over and wrapped them up in an all encompassing embrace.

"_It's time to step up, grow up, and be a man,"_ he thought as he did his best to take the pain away from his family.

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Shinji lay on his bed with his hands behind his head, as the music from his SDAT player droned on through his earbuds. Normally, the music would sooth his troubled mind, but tonight was different. Tonight his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Seeing Asuka so heart broken tore him to pieces. The normally strong young woman fell apart, as her carefully constructed walls came tumbling down. He had always cared for the headstrong redhead, but on finding that she was pregnant, something deep and primal awaken inside his heart.

He was hurt and disappointed, at first. He had always dreamed, down in the deepest part of his soul where even he couldn't journey, that he would be the father of Asuka's children. That part shamed him, though. This was not a time to think of his own feelings or needs. This was Asuka's time, and he would do everything possible to help her. His wants and needs be damned.

The need to help her was overwhelming, one that he could not and would not fight. His heart was ready to tear from his chest as he thought of Asuka just on the other side of the wall, thinking that she would have to go through this all on her own. What was going through her mind right now? Despair? Anger? Loneliness? This line of thinking is what was keeping him up, as the seconds and minutes slowly ticked by with no relief in sight.

Growling in frustration, he tore the buds from his ears and turned over to try to force the sleep to come. It was going to be a very, very busy day tomorrow. He pulled the covers over his shoulders when he heard a light scratching at his door and a small voice call out his name. He leapt out of his bed and opened the door as soon as he could.

"Shinji," Asuka said softly, as she sniffed back some tears, "can I come in? I can't sleep…"

"Sure, Asuka. Anytime," he answered as he stepped aside and let her into his room. She staggered over to his bed and sat down on the edge and started to cry again.

"Do you mean it? Anytime?" she asked pleadingly as he walked over toward her and knelt down to the floor in front of her. He looked her in the eyes as best he could in the dim light.

"Yes, anytime." It truly hurt to see her this upset. He would do anything for her to make her feel better. How any man could take advantage of her like someone had was completely beyond his understanding. It caused an anger to swell within his chest that he had never experienced before. He fought it down so as not to alarm the sad young lady before him.

"Can…can I sleep here tonight? I don't want to be alone right now."

"Sure, not a problem," he said as he moved to get up, "let me get some spare pillows and blankets and I'll bunk out on the floor…"

"No! Please?" she pleaded as she grabbed the front of his shirt to keep him from moving away, "Don't leave me! Hold me, please?" she sobbed.

"Shh, it's okay," Shinji said in a soothing tone as he gently stroked her hair, "I'll never leave you, no matter what."

"Will you hold me?" she asked again, trembling.

_"How anyone could hurt someone so lovely…"_ Shinji thought before he answered, "As you wish," he said with a smile that Asuka could feel in the dark, even if she couldn't see it. He crawled into the bed behind her as she laid down and snuggled up to him in a perfect spooning position. She laid her head down on his arm.

"You're trembling," she said worriedly. "Is everything alright?" She feared his answer.

"I'm fine, just nervous," he lied as he fought the shaking. It was of rage, thinking about what happened to the girl he cared so much about. He fought to control himself.

"You must hate me," Asuka said a few minutes later. Shinji felt the tears pour onto his arm and it tore at him.

"I could never hate you, Asuka. I care too much for you to do that," he replied without thinking. She stiffened a bit at his answer.

"How could you not? I'm filthy! I'm unclean! I've really screwed things up!" she cried, wracked with sobs. "I'm carrying some scumbag's bastard inside of me!"

" Hush," he said gently as he took his arm from his side and wrapped it around her, holding her lower belly with his hand. "You'll upset the baby. It's not her fault."

His actions and words shocked Asuka. For the first time that day, she thought of the life growing inside of her as a baby. Her baby. His hand was warm on her belly, and a feeling like it belonged there grew within her shattered heart. Then what he said struck her.

"Her?" she asked, genuinely surprised at what he said. "How can you tell it's a girl? The doctors can't even tell yet!"

"Oh, I just have a feeling," Shinji said as he smiled into her hair, "She'll be a little girl, with her mother's red hair, blue eyes, and wild spirit."

"Oh really?" she shot back, "And what makes you the great expert? Lots of experience with babies?" Some of her fiery spirit was starting to emerge from the depression of earlier.

"Not really, but with a mother like the Great Asuka, she wouldn't be any other way!" Asuka chuckled a bit.

"Thank you, Shinji," she said as she tried to relax. It was a few minutes more before she spoke again, as some of the sniggling doubts came back to haunt her.

"Shinji?"

"Yes, Asuka?"

"Did you really mean what you said earlier?" came the soft question, in a voice afraid of the answer. "Do you really care for me?"

"Yes, Asuka, I do. With all my heart." he answered automatically._ "Holy crap! Did I just say that out loud?"_ came the voice of the Coward that hid down in the depths. The Man promptly kicked him square in the face and shoved him back in the shadows._ "I more than care, I love this woman"_

"Why? I always treated you like crap!"

"Not always. The past few months have been better. And to answer your question, I just do." he answered her, feeling her body get warmer to the touch.

"And…and you'll never leave me?" once more soft and tinged with fear.

"Never. I'll never leave either one of you two," he answered again, as he gently rubbed her belly, causing her to coo a bit. " I may not be this baby's father, but I'll be a father to her if you'll let me."

"What…what do you mean by that?" Asuka gasped, her heart starting to pound like mad. She was shaking like a leaf.

"Just what I said, Asuka. Let's just leave it at that. Now, get some sleep, you have a busy day tomorrow," Shinji replied as he drew her closer, making her feel safe and protected.

"Idiot," she yawned as sleep did it's best to claim her.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," he chuckled as he felt her slowly drift off to the land of dreams. A few minutes later, he followed suit.

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The morning wasn't going really well for anyone. First off, Misato was shocked to find her two charges sleeping in the same bed, but the look Shinji shot her kept her mouth shut.

"It's not what you think, Misato. She was scared," he added apologetically as he carefully slid out from behind the sleeping girl.

"Asuka? Scared? Not likely," Misato said teasingly as Shinji softly closed the door and headed for the kitchen. The tone was completely lost on Shinji.

"Misato! How can you say that?! After all the shit that just happened to her?!" he growled back. The Major took several steps back and held up her hands up in the air.

"I'm sorry! I was just teasing!" she said quickly as Shinji's face softened a bit and his shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry, Misato! I shouldn't have snapped at you." he said a bit dejectedly. "I apologize for how I treated you yesterday, it was wrong. It's just…."

"I know, kiddo, I know," she said as she placed her arms around the young man standing before her. To her surprise, Shinji didn't breakdown. He just relaxed a bit as he wrapped his arms around her. _"Being a mom can be nice, sometimes,"_ she mused.

"I don't know what to do for her," he said softly.

"Just do what you're good at, Shinji. Just be there for her."

"I will. I'm not going to run away, ever. I promised them that." Misato looked Shinji in the eye and wondered when he grew up to be the man she now saw him to be.

"Shinji?!" cried a startled voice from his room. Shinji quickly extracted himself from Misato's hug and ran to the room.

"I'm here, Asuka!" he said as he slid the door open, revealing the terrified girl sitting up in his bed. She was shaking violently.

"Where, where were you?!" she cried out as he went over and took her in his arms.

"It's okay, I just got up to make some breakfast before…arrrrgh!" he said as the redhead suddenly leapt off the bed, throwing him into the floor and running as fast as she could for the bathroom.

_"It's going to be a long seven months,"_ he thought as he followed her into the bathroom and took care of her as he had the previous day. Misato just looked at the two teenagers and sadly smiled. She had no idea what was in store for these two when the Commander finds out, but she was sure that things would work out.

"What do you mean Shinji can't come?" Asuka yelled as she munched on her toast, sending crumbs everywhere.

"Shinji needs to head back to school today and take care of things there," Misato replied calmly as she sipped her tea. "He's got to pick up both of your assignments from yesterday, as well as yours for today, Asuka. I also have some paperwork he needs to give the teachers and principle when he's there."

"What?! He's not going to tell everyone about this, is he?!" she screeched and shot Shinji a dirty look. He waved his hands in the air in protest.

"No, I'm not! I'm just going to explain the situation to the administrators and give the paperwork needed. I promise you I won't tell anyone!"

"You're not going to go blab to the Stooges, are you?" she asked nervously, expecting a breach in her trust.

"No, I'm not, Asuka," he replied as he took her hand , "I won't even tell Hikari about it."

"Uh, you can tell her, I guess. Just nobody else." she stammered, wondering what her friend would think of her after hearing the news.

"As you wish," he said with a smile as he stood, placed his right fist over his heart and bowed slightly to her. Shinji then turned and went to take his shower before school. Asuka's and Misato's jaws hit the table, as both stared wide-eyed in the direction of the bathroom.

"He's…changed," Asuka said as she basked in the warm glow that Shinji had left her in. She reached down and rubbed her belly, and smiled.

"Naw," Misato said as she finished off her tea and thought about a line in one of her favorite books, "The sleeper has awakened!" She grinned at Asuka's obvious confusion and sent her on her way to get dressed.

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"Hey, Shinji!" a voice called out to him as he got of his motorcycle and removed his helmet and leather jacket. Shinji looked up to see his friend, Touji Suzahara, limping over to him. "You rode the bike to school today? Sweet!"

"Aw, he just did that to get the chicks! Right, Shinji?" asked his other friend, Kensuke Aida, who was getting lots of footage of Shinji's bike with his new digital camera that his father had given him for Christmas.

"Speaking of chicks, where's the Red Headed Devil? You two newlyweds have a spat or something?" Touji teased as slapped Shinji on the shoulder. Shinji turned and shot him a look that could shatter the armour plating off of every EVA ever constructed.

"Don't ever call her that again." he seethed, causing his friends to take a few steps back.

"Whoa, dude! Chill!" Touji protested, "Just kidding, man! What's wrong?" Kensuke was filming the whole incident until Shinji turned and looked like he was ready to shove the camera up Kensuke's ass. The camera was quickly put away.

"Sorry guys, I'm just tired and a little worried. Asuka's not feeling very well right now. Misato took her to see Dr. Akagi for some tests." Shinji apologized to his friends. "I came to get our assignments from yesterday and let the teachers know what's going on."

"And what is going on?" Kensuke asked, his instincts for trouble were serving him well.

"Just like I said, Asuka's not feeling well," Shinji said with a tone that warned his friend to drop the whole conversation.

"Eh, it's probably that time of the month," Touji added as Shinji slugged him in the fake arm as they walked to class.

_"No, we're not going to have to worry about that in the near future,"_ Shinji thought as they entered the classroom and took their seats. Opening his computer, he quickly typed a message to Hikari and awaited her answer.

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"Hi Shinji," Hikari called out as she headed for the tree where she and Asuka liked to eat lunch often. "You're not eating today?"

"Hi Hikari," he answered back, "not today, I'm not very hungry, and I don't plan on being here for too much longer today. I still need to deliver some paperwork to the principle and then go…"

"See to Asuka?" Hikari smiled as she finished Shinji's sentence. He just sat and smirked, his eyes twinkling just a bit. Hikari thought it was cute.

"That obvious?" he said wryly and shook his head. The young lady next to him just giggled.

"You've had it bad for that girl since the day she first showed up here. Besides, you both were gone yesterday, and she's not here today. That means she's not feeling good. How's she doing? It's not serious, I hope!" the pig tailed class rep asked, somewhat worried.

_"About as serious as it can get,"_ he thought glumly as he turned to face his friend. "Hikari, I have something to tell you, but before I do, you have to promise me something."

"_Not good,"_ Hikari thought to herself. "What do you want me to promise?"

"That you will promise to hear me out. That you don't go flying off the handle. That you won't judge things or jump to conclusions. That you'll still be there for Asuka. Most importantly, that you will not tell anyone, even Touji. Can you promise me that?" Shinji asked, his face a mask of stone, but his eyes pleading for Hikari to understand.

"_Definitely not good at all,"_ she mused. "I promise, Shinji."

"Thank you, Hikari," he replied, and felt as if a huge weight was off of his shoulders,_ "One weight down, eight hundred to go,"_. Sighing, he sat there for a minute or so, trying to gather his thoughts and figure out the best way to break the news.

"What did you want to say…" Hikari asked gently, before Shinji cut her off.

"Asuka's pregnant," came his reply, not knowing of any other way to soften the blow. Hikari's face went pale as her jaw dropped, eyes wide as saucers. Shinji reached over and took her hand, not in a romantic way, but as a friend trying to comfort another. "She's going to need you, Hikari. She's going to need her friends, more than ever."

"But…but…but how? Who? Not you…" she stammered, shocked completely beyond the ability to comprehend. Shinji's eyes wore a sadness that broke Hikari's heart.

"You promised not to jump to conclusions," he said, not harshly. "No, I'm not the father. I wish…" he said with such sorrow that Hikari wanted to weep for him, before the emotions were clamped back down and he picked up his burden once more. He told her the story the best he could, everything that they had been able to figure out. He even told her of how he promised to be there for her and the baby, and how he would never leave.

"So, what is she going to do? What are you going to do, Shinji?" Hikari asked, blushing slightly when she thought about the responsibility the sixteen year old man had just accepted, and wondering how many others would do the same thing.

"I don't know yet, Hikari, but I have a few ideas," he said as he stood and extended his hand to help his friend up from her seat. Hikari reached over and gave him a big hug before he could leave.

"That was for Asuka, make sure to give it to her," she told the blushing teen, " and this one is for you," she continued as she gave him a small peck on the cheek. He touched his cheek lightly, puzzled.

"Why?" he inquired, somewhat perplexed.

"For being such a nice guy! Asuka's lucky to have you!" she smiled shyly as she looked in his dark blue eyes. "Just don't tell Touji what I did, okay?"

"What, and risk getting myself pummel to death twice over? No thanks!" he grinned as his friend giggled at his reply. She watched him as he shook his head a bit and walked back toward the school.

"Shinji! Let Asuka know I'll call her tonight!" she called out as he raised his arm over his head and waved his acknowledgement back at her. She sighed as she thought about how nice of a guy Shinji Ikari really was.

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After dropping off the paperwork with the school administrators, Shinji mounted his motorcycle and rode to NERV headquarters. He had a lot of time to think as he rode the monorail through the GeoFront. This line of thinking was scaring the hell out of him, but The Man inside of him kept beating the snot out of The Coward and sending him packing. He came up with a plan of action that he hope would take care of as many things as possible. Three things in this plan worried him the most, but he had a family to take of.

He reached the doors of the medical section when he heard a blood curdling scream, followed by a long stream of German words that he had learned from painful experience would make a sailor blush. Several other voices could be heard within, but what got him to moving was the next words the young German spoke.

"NO! I won't let you hurt my baby!!" Asuka's scream caused Shinji to see red. He bolted for the door as a large male orderly did his best to block his way.

"Sorry, sir, but you can't…urk!" was all he got out as Shinji hit him in a place where no man should be struck, then quickly came up with a knee to the man's nose, all within the space of half a second. Shinji burst into the room, seeing a terrified Asuka huddled in a corner as Doctor Akagi and several others were closing in on her.

"Shinji! Help me! They want to kill our baby!!" she screamed as he ran into the room and slid between Asuka and the others. Shinji never had much fighting experience outside of an EVA, but those instincts took over as he dropped into a fighting stance, eyes filled with fire, and ready to go into a berserker mode that would put EVA Unit One to shame.

"Back off!" he called out, his voice filled with venom and the promise of extreme pain to any who did not comply.

"Get out of the way, Shinji! This must be done!" Doctor Akagi said as she held a syringe before her, motioning to the others in the room to remove Shinji. That was a mistake, as their dental bills just went up drastically. It was a good thing they were in the medical wing.

"I said to get back!" he barked, turning his eyes toward her, the only adult remaining standing in the room. Doctor Akagi was truly afraid for the first time in her life.

"What the HELL is going on here?!" demand Misato as she stormed into the room, followed by Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki and Maya Ibuki. The state of the room shocked everyone, as all eyes turned on Shinji and Asuka.

"She wants to kill our baby!!" Asuka screamed, as she continued to hide behind Shinji. If he wasn't in fighting mode, those words would have filled him with pride: _our baby!_

"No one is to touch her!" Shinji growled. The Sub-Commander raised one eyebrow in surprise. Misato's jaw dropped at what she had just heard.

"Ritsuko?" she asked, shocked at what she had just heard.

"What?! It's the _only_ viable option here! She can't pilot an EVA in this condition! There is no telling what this would do to her sync ratios, or what it will do to the fetus! The EVA's are our main concern. Everything else doesn't matter!" The blonde scientist argued as she turned to look at the others.

SLAP!!

Everyone stood there in shock as Maya stood above her supervisor, her hand still in the air from the blow she struck Doctor Akagi. Ritsuko slowly got up from the floor, holding her cheek, which was turning redder by the second. Maya continued to stand there in a rage.

"Doctor Akagi! How dare you! That is her choice, not yours!" she said, tears in her eyes as she trembled with rage. Misato stepped forward and pulled Maya over to the side and then got very close to Akagi.

"Does the Commander know about all this?" she whispered through her teeth, enough anger in her voice to cause Akagi to step back.

"He knows about the pregnancy," she said quietly.

"Does he know about your pre-emptive solution?" Fuyutsuki asked her, his eyes cold as he regarded the doctor.

"Uh, not yet, but I know that he would agree with my assessment!" she spat back.

"So, you took it upon yourself to cause emotional and physical harm to an EVA pilot, with no orders from the chain of command?" Fuyutsuki added, "Do you like causing harm to children?" That question left Doctor Akagi speechless.

"But, what about the EVA's?" Akagi asked, trying to get someone to see her point of view. She would just have to do her best to convince the Commander later.

"Fuck them!" came back a cold voice from the corner. It sounded a little too much like the Commander for anyone's taste. Same intonations, different emotions.

"Shinji," Misato said as she walked toward the couple, "why don't you take Asuka to go get dressed and take her back home. I'll be there later."

"Are you sure, Misato?" Shinji said guardedly, "I won't let anything happen to Asuka and the baby."

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied, as she reached around him and pulled the redhead to her feet, "Nothing is going to happen. I promise." She and Shinji swapped keys.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Major," Akagi said viciously as Shinji lead Asuka from the room.

"She can't, I can," Fuyutsuki said as he and the others left the room, leaving Akagi in there alone, fuming about teenagers and damn hormones.

"Shinji?" Asuka called out from behind the curtain that separated the male and female portions of the locker room. There was fear and worry in her voice. The shell that she had so carefully created over all those years was gone, leaving only the scared little girl behind.

"What's up, Asuka?" he asked patiently as he waited for her to change from her hospital gown.

"You're not peeking are you?" she called back out, having lost her nerve to ask what was really on her mind. Some off the false bravado came back to her voice. " I bet you are, you perv!" She heard something she wasn't expecting: Shinji was laughing!

"No, I'm not peeking," he called back, still laughing. "The way you dress at home sometimes, why should I have to peak? Ain't much left to the imagination!" Asuka gasped at this, shocked he would say such a thing.

She grabbed the curtain and pulled it open, getting ready to give the young smart mouth a good tongue-lashing. Instead, she froze as he stood before her, a silly grin on his face and a single red rose held out to her. Her heart melted.

"What? One instead of a dozen? What kind of cheapskate are you?" she smirked at the momentary look of confusion on his face, before he grinned and went back at her.

"Well, what do you expect? You ever tried carrying a dozen roses and riding a bike at the same time? I still have thorns in my teeth just from the one!" he shot back, with the same silly grin on his face. Asuka stood there for a second before the thought of Shinji riding through the streets of Tokyo-3 with a rose between his teeth got to her. She started giggling, then laughing uncontrollably. It was infectious, as Shinji joined her a second later.

"Thank you," she said sweetly as she took the rose from his hand and held it close. She had been given flowers before by others, in great bunches and by the dozens. This one single rose meant more to her right now than any of those ever had. She knew this one was from the heart. _"And what a lovely heart it is," _she thought to herself as she took Shinji's hand and lead him from the locker room.

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The night at home went so much smoother than the night before. Shinji made some Asuka's favorite foods for dinner, after they made a trip to the nearest western food store, and was serving it up when Misato finally made it home for the evening.

"How did the tests go, Misato?" Shinji asked as they all sat down to supper. Misato cradled her cup of tea in her hands, wishing deep down that it was a beer.

"All the tests came back good. Asuka and the baby are in perfect health," Misato said happily as she flashed her best smile at her charges.

"No thanks to that bitch," Asuka mumbled as she took another bite of sauerkraut.

"We had a long discussion about that, the four of us," the violet haired woman said as she bit into her bratwurst which had been covered in curry powder.

"Four of you?" Shinji asked, not liking where this was going.

"Yes. Myself, Doctor Akagi, Commander Fuyutsuki, and Commander Ikari."

"Uh oh," both teenagers said in stereo.

"Actually, it wasn't that bad. Doctor Akagi did her best to get your father to order the pregnancy's termination, but your father denied that request. However," a dark shadow crossed over her face, "he hasn't decided what to do about Asuka. Not to scare either of you, but he could just as easily order her back to Germany."

"What did Commander Fuyutsuki have to say?" Shinji wondered as he tore into his roll.

"Well, he recommended combat training for the orderlies, as well as hazard pay for having to work with a bunch of pissed off pilots, and a better dental plan," Misato grinned as she told them this. Food shot from one end of the table to the other as both children started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Misato, you've got to be joking! Fuyutsuki would never say anything like that!" Asuka finally managed to say after catching her breath.

"On my honor as an officer, he said it word for word!" she grinned as she cast a look toward Shinji, who was now trying his best not to blush. "He also said he was proud of you, Shinji, for standing up for Asuka. Your mother would be proud!" Shinji's blush increased tenfold as he did his best to melt under the table. He wasn't used to praise at all, though he used to yearned for it. All he wanted to do now was make Asuka happy.

"Shinji, my hero!" Asuka said in a most over-the-top way, exaggerating every syllable, as a genuine smile caresses her face. She reached over and patted his hand as Misato smiled. Shinji kept silent, but a small smile did display itself on his ever reddening face.

Later on, after dinner and dishes, Shinji sat on the sofa and was deep in thought. Hikari had kept her word and call Asuka, which picked up the redhead's spirits more than could be expressed. This made Shinji happy, but he still had plans to work out, and was at a bit of a loss at what should be done to implement them. He needed someone to talk to, badly. His answer came into the door, much to the squeal of a certain Major.

"Kaji! What are you doing here this time of night, you naughty boy? Hmmm?" Misato cooed as she fell all over the tall NERV agent. She had given up the pretense of disliking him months ago, it was so much easier that way.

"Ah, my lovely Major," Kaji said in his own, semi-suave way, "as much as I would love to say it was the thought of your shapely legs and lovely bosom that brought me here tonight, that would be a lie, though a great side benefit. I actually came here to talk to someone else, at their request." He nodded his head in the direction of the couch. Misato gave him a look of confusion, but understanding dawned on her. Man-to-man type of talk, kind of hard to do with a house full of females.

"Hey kiddo, what's up?" Kaji said as he vaulted over the couch and plopped down at the other end.

"Hey, Kaji! Thanks for coming!" Shinji greeted, "What some tea?" he asked as he started to get up, but he waved him off.

"Sounds good, but let's allow your roommate get it for us, why don't we?," Kaji said as he waved to the love of his life who was standing in the kitchen, eavesdropping.

"Kaji, her tea isn't much better than her cooking," Shinji warned.

"I'll risk it, I can always put a bullet in my head later if the pain proves too unbearable," he grinned as he heard the dishes in the kitchen scatter as she heard what he said. He and Shinji shared a chuckle.

"Yeah, but what about me?" asked the teenager, loud enough for her to hear.

"You still got that cyanide pill I gave you for just such an emergency?" Kaji replied, waiting for a reaction.

"I can hear you both, you know!" a stern voice called back from the kitchen.

"We know," they called back in unison as they kept laughing. They both knew that as much as Misato loved to tease, she _hated_ being teased herself. "We love you Misato!" Misato just growled back in response as she brought them their tea.

"Well, I'll just retreat back to my little room so you big men can have your big talk," she said sarcastically as she brought them their tea. Shinji thanked her as Kaji blew her a kiss.

"So, what's up? " Kaji said, prodding the young man beside him to open up. Kaji was one of the few people Shinji had ever opened up to in the past, and that bond remain. Shinji found it so easy to talk to the older man, like he was an older brother.

"Well, have you heard what happened?" Shinji started off, not knowing what all the agent had heard through his sources. Seeing how Misato was his betrothed, he knew secrets didn't stay that way for long.

"About Asuka? Or about you going ape-shit on the medical staff at headquarters?"

"Uh, about Asuka," Shinji quickly added, trying to gloss over what happened earlier today.

"Yes, I heard," Kaji said sadly, thinking about his former charge and her dire situation, "it's very sad. Is there something you wish to tell me?" he asked gently.

"It's not that, Kaji. I'm not the father," Shinji couldn't hide the sadness in his voice.

"That upsets you, doesn't it?" Kaji asked, knowing how Shinji felt about Asuka. He was studying the young man very closely, trying to catch a glimpse into the inner workings of his mind.

"That doesn't matter," Shinji replied, "What matters is that Asuka and the baby are taken care of, and that they are protected. I never want to see them hurt. I swore to Asuka I'd protect them both."

Kaji's eyes widened a bit as he thought about what Shinji had just said. _"Was Shinji aware at what he just said, and the implications of it?"_ Kaji thought as his respect for the young man grew in leaps and bounds. "So, where do I come in?"

"I need your help, Kaji," the younger man said, as he looked the older man square in the eye. Kaji was taken aback at how like his father Shinji looked just now, same intensity in the eyes, but guided by love rather than greed and power. "Here is what I need to do…" Shinji said as he laid out his plans to Kaji, and asked him for help in the areas he wasn't quite sure of. When Shinji was finished, Kaji sat back and let out a long breath.

"Damn, Shinji, you could give your old man a run for his money," Kaji replied as he thought about what all Shinji had just told him. The young man shot him a look that would kill, if Kaji wasn't wearing his bullet-proof vest.

"I'm nothing like my father! I don't use people as tools and throw them away, like he does!"

"No, you don't," Kaji consoled, trying to get Shinji to calm down, "and I didn't mean it that way. From what I've seen of you, you do what you do out of love. You don't want to hurt anyone. I meant in terms of tactical planning, you are more than match for him."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Shinji replied sullenly, looking at his hands, not daring to look the older man in the eyes.

"In this case, trying to do what you need to do, I think it's a good thing. And a good plan, but let's make just a few modifications here and there…" Kaji said as he and Shinji continued to talk for just a little while longer. Finally, Kaji had to ask Shinji something that was bothering him just a bit.

"Shinji, I have a question about one part of the plan, though. Do you think that it would be fair to Asuka and the baby?"

"What do you mean, Kaji?" Shinji asked, a bit perplexed, "I would never hurt them."

"Okay," he said, "let's try another tact, would it be fair to you? What if you don't get the answer you want?"

"It doesn't matter. Either way, I'll be there for them," Shinji replied, his jaw set in determination. Kaji just shook his head.

"Somehow, I believe you, Mr. Ikari. You are a much better man than I," Kaji said, "and I salute you!" Shinji blushed.

"I'm just a scared kid that doesn't know what to do to help the lady he loves…" Shinji replied, until what he said just hit him, "Aw crap! Did I just say that out loud?"

"I didn't hear a thing, Mr. Ikari," Kaji said as he slapped Shinji on the back. "I promise you, I'll do everything I can to help you out. However, if you'll excuse me, there is a certain Major I need to go have my way with! Goodnight to you!" Shinji just shook his head and chuckled as the older man stood up and rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he headed off to Misato's room. A second later, a rather loud squeal emanated from the closed door, followed by the sound of crashing furniture. Shinji continued to laugh when he felt someone plop down beside him.

"Perverts," Asuka muttered as she rubbed her temples. She had talked to Hikari for two and a half hours on the phone, and though it was a welcome reprieve from the stress of the last couple of days, it took it's toll.

"Have a nice talk?" Shinji asked pleasantly as she leaned up against him. He thrilled at her touch, especially when it wasn't a slap or a punch. Asuka chuckled a bit.

"Yeah. Thanks," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Thanks for everything, Shinji."

"You're welcome, Asuka," he replied, sighing contently as the two of them sat there for several minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Finally, she got up and stood there in front of him, her hands on her hips.

"You forgot to tell me something, though," she said scowling, looking down on him with those radiant blue eyes. Shinji gulped.

"What did I forget to tell you, Asuka?" he stammered, wondering if she found out about the kiss Hikari planted on his cheek. She reached down and grabbed him by front of his shirt and pulled him up from the sofa to where he was standing just inches from her.

"Actually, you forgot to give me something," she purred as she slid forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Shinji smiled as wrapped his arms around the woman he cared so much for, remembering what it was he had forgotten to do.

"Well, I didn't feel like getting beaten within an inch of my life," Shinji said as he pulled her close and buried his nose into her hair. She smelled of strawberries.

"Just don't get any ideas, perv," she said mock-seriously. Shinji laughed.

"With you dressed like that, it'll be hard to control myself, but I'll try!"

"What the hell do you mean by that?" she asked as she pulled back to look in his eyes, trying hard not to get lost.

"Like I said before, it doesn't leave much to the imagination," he grinned as peeked down her oversized yellow top, and then looked down at her shapely legs barely covered at all in her extremely short blue shorts. "After all, you're every man's dream!"

"Ach! You pervert! You jerk! I'll get you!" she said as she started to beat the snot out of him with the closest thing she could find, which happened to be a cushion from the sofa. Shinji was laughing hysterically as she continued to pound him with the not-so-serious weapon. He let go of the furious German and leapt over the sofa and started to run back to his room, laughing all the way.

"Shinji Ikari! Get your ass back here!" she yelled as she chased him across the room, just as he reached his doorway, "You coward!"

"He who fights and runs away…" was all he said before the cushion caught him squarely in the face, causing him to fall backwards as he closed his door. Maniacal laughter was heard coming from behind his door as the redhead stood there, breathing heavily, before she too, started giggling like crazy. She shook her head and walked back into her own room and slid the door closed. Unknown to the teenagers, three pairs of eyes watched them from behind Misato's door, jaws dropped in wonder.

"What the hell was that?" Misato said, stunned at the behavior of her charges.

"Warrk!" Pen-Pen agreed with his owner.

"Foreplay," Kaji replied as he reached over and pinched Misato's shapely butt, causing her to squeal a bit.

"Warrk!" Pen-Pen said in surprise as a foot connected to his butt and booted him out of the room. The door quickly closed behind him.

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It was a few hours later when Shinji felt a warm body crawl into bed beside him and snuggle up, sniffling. He put his arm around her as she put her head on his chest. Asuka held him as tightly as she could, as the terrors of the dark had come back to attack her. Shinji was her lifeline now, and she wasn't afraid to admit it.

"I'm sorry if I'm bugging you," she sniffed, fresh tears trying to force their way out of the corners of her eyes.

"You're not bugging me, Asuka. You're always welcome," Shinji replied as he felt some of the tension in her melt away, "That didn't come out quite right," he added, causing her to snort just a little, as more tension bled away.

"Thank you for earlier," she said, "I really needed that."

"I know," he replied as he stroked her hair, making her coo just a bit._ "God, I love it when she does that ,"_ he thought, then felt guilty about it. "You're welcome."

"I...I had that dream again," she said after a few minutes.

"The one you were telling us you were having before all this happened?" he asked as he felt her nod her head.

"Yeah, that one," she answered, shivering somewhat. Shinji held her tighter.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked as he stroked her hair again.

"You…you'll think badly of me," she replied, starting to sniffle again. Shinji was quick to reassure her.

"I could never think badly of you, I promise," he said.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Asuka told him of how the dream always took place after a party of some sort. The guy in her dream treated her so good, and made her feel better than she ever had before. The dream got graphic after that, and she told Shinji how she had always thrown herself at the guy in her dream, acting like such a slut. But whenever she tried to see his face, she'd always wake up all hot and bothered. It used to be such a pleasant dream for her, until this happened. Now she wondered if really was a dream, and why she couldn't see the guy's face.

"Shinji, are you okay?" she asked as she felt his breathing increasing, his chest heaving almost violently.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Asuka," he lied as he tried to keep his voice from cracking, tears streaming out of the corners of his eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Shinji. What's wrong?" she asked once more as she propped herself up on an elbow and stroked his face and came away with wet fingers._ "Tears?"_

"I…I can't tell you Asuka, because you'll end up hating me. You probably do any, seeing how weak I am." he continued, as his voice betrayed him and cracked. "It's stupid and it's selfish! I don't want to be any of that, I just want to be here for you!"

"Tell me, please?" she pleaded, fearing she was about to lose him.

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing that he could never resist her, and knowing too that he was about to lose her, " but I always dreamed, deep down and secretly, to where I couldn't even think about it when I was awake, that…that I would be the father of your children! I am so fucked up. You probably hate me now more than you ever did before."

Asuka was shocked, totally and completely. Here was a great guy that she had treated like shit since they had met, and he had dreamed he would father her children? What the hell kind of man was he? He cared for her enough that ,even though his dream was shattered, he wanted to still be with her and take care of her and her baby? She didn't deserve to be with him, but she wanted to be with him so much that it hurt at times. What the hell has happened to her? What the hell has happened to him?

"I don't hate you, Shinji, and I never have," she said, "that was just my fear talking before. You really are a very special man, Shinji Ikari." She could feel him blush.

"I couldn't protect you, so that you'd never have to go through this," he cried, feeling more like a failure now than he ever had before in his life. The stress of the past few days had caught up with him as well. " I suck!"

"Hush now," she said firmly, but lovingly, "I'm not going to let my baby's father talk about himself that way. Do you understand?" She felt him calm down almost instantly.

"Do you mean it?" he asked softly. "You still want me around?"

"Yes, you idiot," she replied as she gently beat him on the chest, "you promised that you would never leave me, and I'm not going to let you chase yourself off . Now, let's get to sleep, your daughter needs her rest." With that, she snuggled back into his chest and quickly went to sleep. Her words made Shinji feel happier than anytime before in his short life. Slowly, he fell asleep, with a smile on his face.

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The next several weeks flew by quickly, usually following the same routine as the first two days. The biggest difference was Asuka was now going back to school, with Shinji and Hikari watching after her. There were many people in school that really didn't like Asuka's attitude before, and now that she seemed to calm down quite a bit, they went out of their way to egg her on, or be cruel. It didn't help much that she had been excused from Physical Education classes, which drove several of the girls crazy. They went out of their way to be especially cruel to her. It didn't help much that her hormones decided it was time to go completely out of whack. No matter how hard she fought it, the slightest thing would set off a torrent of tears.

"This sucks!" she screamed as Hikari did her best to comfort her friend one day, glaring daggers into the girl that set off the tears, who stood there smugly with her arms crossed and completely pleased with herself. This girl was mad at Asuka because Asuka was Shinji's roommate, and Shinji was spending way too much time with her and not noticing the other girls, like the offender. She turned to walk away and came face to face with the object of her desires.

"Oh, Hi Shinji! How are you doing today?" she said sweetly as she batted her eyelashes at him, "Say , do you wanna go catch a movie Saturday night? I'll make it a night you'll never forget."

"What did you say to Asuka, Kiki?" Shinji inquired, as his blue eyes locked onto her brown ones and staring into her soul deeper than any laser could ever burn.

"Who? Her?," she made a derisive noise at the mention of Asuka, who continued to bawl in the corner of the hall. " I just told her what a tramp she really was for taking up all your time and such! The nerve of that little bitch, thinking she owned you or something!"

"Listen to me and listen good, Kiki," Shinji said in his deadliest voice, "You are one of the sorriest excuses for a human being I've ever met, and you are never to speak to Asuka or myself ever again! Is that understood?"

"What?! How can you defend that little tramp!" Kiki shot back with tears in her eyes, "You're supposed to like me! Not her! That little bitch has been cheating on you, Shinji! Hoju says he's been dicking her every night for a month now! How can you trust that slut?!"

"Leave. Now." was his reply, as the girl started bawling her eyes out and running down the hall. Shinji walked over to Asuka and wrapped his arms around her, which calmed her greatly. He held her for a minute or so before he took her by the hand and lead her back to class. This didn't go unnoticed by Shinji's two friends, who thought it best not to say anything to him just yet.

Lunch was when all Hell truly broke loose. Asuka was in the hallway waiting for Shinji when a hand clasped on her shoulder roughly. Before she could turn around, a deep voice called out to her.

"Hey Soryu! Where's your boyfriend, Ikari? Does he know that you're carrying my bastard?" the voice barked as several other voices joined him in a laugh.

_"Oh mein Gott! They know! Is…is he the one who…"_ she thought furiously as she went deathly white before the hand suddenly vanished from her shoulder in what felt like a whirlwind. Turning around, a shocking sight greeted her.

Hoju, the biggest boy in the senior class, was pinned to the wall by Shinji. One of Shinji's hands held the wrist of the offending hand, which now hung at a strange angle and was turning blue. The other hand was wrapped around Hoju's throat and holding the boy off the ground, so only the tips of his toes were touching the floor. Hoju was making strange gurgling noises as he tried his best to remove Shinji's hand from his windpipe with his free hand, and having very little success. Shinji just grinned in a very feral fashion.

"Hello, Hoju," Shinji said, every word dripping with malice, "how's it hanging?"

"Urk…" was all Hoju said. No surprising, since Shinji was closing off his windpipe.

"Not much to say? You seemed to have had plenty to say earlier. What was that you were telling everyone in school?" Shinji asked as he released some of the pressure from Hoju's windpipe, just enough to let him talk a bit.

"Been…dicking…your…girl…month…" he got out before the vise-like grip tightened once more. His eyes looked pleadingly to the folks behind Shinji, waiting for something to happen.

"Looking for backup? Nice bunch of friends you have, Hoju. They're afraid of a few sophomores?" Shinji said, which startled Asuka. Looking behind Shinji, she saw Touji, Kensuke, Rei, and Hikari standing there between Shinji and three other seniors who balked at the look in everyone's eyes.

"We gotcha back, Shinji, just do what you need to do," Touji called back behind him. Even Hikari was in agreement there, which truly surprised Asuka. And Rei looked ready to tear someone's head off if anyone took a step closer to her brother.

"Hmm, four seniors versus four EVA pilots. Who do you think would win, Hoju?" Shinji said as he released Hoju's broken arm and cocked his fist, ready to plant it squarely in the senior's face. Before he could let the punch fly, a pair of hands gently encased his fist.

"It's okay, Shinji, let him go. He's not worth it. Please, baby?" Asuka pleaded with him, which immediately calmed the fire within his belly. He could never deny her. Releasing his grip, the senior slid to the floor at Shinji and Asuka's feet.

"As you wish," he replied as he stared at the pile of human garbage at his feet. "It's your lucky day, Hoju. You're getting off easy. Now apologize and you might get to walk away from this."

After Hoju knelt and profusely apologized for being such a total ass, his buddies helped him up and took him to the nurse. Hikari had already reported the incident to the school officials as a case of self-defense and coming to the aid of another. Hoju and his friends were immediately suspended from the school.

Walking to the tree where they always ate lunch, the six classmates stood around, not a one trying to eat until they got some things straightened out.

"Damn, Shinji! What the hell is going on? What has been up with you lately?" Touji asked as he stood in front of his friend, trying to pry answers from him. "You snap at girls and you put seniors in the hospital! What gives?"

"I can't tell you," Shinji said with regret, " I swore to someone special I wouldn't tell."

"Damn dude! That sucks! We could have been suspended! We could have gotten hurt! What the hell could be so important…" Touji ranted before hitting a brick wall named Asuka Soryu.

"I'm pregnant," she said softly as she sat in the grass, tears once more streaking her face as Shinji and Hikari knelt down beside her to comfort her. Three other bodies promptly hit the ground, almost as fast as their jaws did.

"Is this true, Shinji?" Rei asked as she crawled over to look him in the eye, never once blinking. Shinji looked her squarely in the eye and replied.

"Yes, it's true."

"Damn, Shinji! You and Asuka are having a kid, and you never even told us you were dating or anything! I thought we were your friends," Kensuke complained, sounding just a little hurt at his friend keeping secrets.

"Shinji's not the father," Asuka hiccupped, trying to stop the flow of tears, " Damn hormones!" Once more, jaws dropped.

"Uh, then who is?" Rei asked, actually blinking in confusion. Her eyes pleaded for answers from her brother.

"We don't know, Rei," he told his sister honestly, "but I plan on being there as a father to this baby." Touji and Kensuke's eyes widened with shock, but Rei crawled over to Asuka and sat beside her.

"Asuka? What…is it like? Having a …child…inside you?" Rei asked, honestly wanting to know. There was something primal and pleading in her voice. Asuka found herself wanting to answer, but Shinji cut everyone off.

"Look, guys, this has to stay our secret! We can't have everyone in school knowing about this. Some people are already giving Asuka hell, it would just get worse if they found out the truth. So please don't tell anyone! That includes websites, emails, text messages, anonymous phone calls, letters to the editor, letters to anyone, banners or signs of any kind, video messages, recorded messages, scrolling marquees, notes in a bottle or even carrier pigeons! Nothing! Got it, Kensuke?" Shinji said as he paused to gather his breath from the long line of items he just rambled off, hoping that he hadn't skipped anything. He knew his friend too well, or so he thought.

"I understand, Shinji," Kensuke said, looking a little hurt, "Don't tell anyone. I may be a jerk, but I'm not heartless…" Thus the secret of Two, which became the conspiracy of Three, now became a fellowship of Six.

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The rest of the day passed somewhat normally, as the teenagers continued to tease one another and hurl verbal barbs, all in good fun. It wasn't until after they got home and had dinner before tension began to fill the air. Asuka could sense it, but the emotional stress of the day had taken it's toll. Excusing herself, she went to her room and tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately, her mind was in such turmoil that sleep wouldn't come. Laying there on her bed, she was able to hear Shinji and Misato talking in rather loud voices. Not quite shouting, but not normal tones, either.

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing, Shinji! That Hoju boy ended up in the hospital with a broken arm!" Misato fussed. Asuka got up and slid her door open just a bit so as to peek and see what was going on. Shinji's reaction to Hoju had frightened her some, which was why she was so glad he calmed down when she asked him to. She had never seen him so intense before.

"That doesn't matter, Misato! I was protecting Asuka! He grabbed her and…" Shinji stopped before he could tell Misato the rest.

"And what?!" she said exasperatedly. This was driving her nuts.

"Misato," Shinji sighed, "we need to get a DNA test on Hoju and run it against the baby's DNA when we finally get a sample." Asuka and Misato's jaws both dropped.

"You don't think that…?" Misato gasped.

"No, not really," Shinji replied, which caused Asuka untold relief, "but some of the things he said struck a little too close to home. We just need to make sure."

"Okay, Shinji. If you think that's what's best."

"No, I don't! But whomever hurt Asuka needs to pay! I aim to see that happen! They will not be allowed to harm her again!" he snapped, then softened his tone. "I'm sorry, Misato."

"Understandable, kiddo. She really means that much to you?" she asked, knowing the answer. Asuka waited for the answer as well. She knew what he had told her, but she wanted, no she _needed_ confirmation.

"More than I can possibly say. She always has, and even if she decides to reject me, I always will." Shinji smiled warmly as he thought of that conversation weeks ago.

"What are you smiling about?" Misato teased as she saw the expression on his face.

"Just something she told me a while back, which I probably shouldn't tell you," all he got from that was a look of more promised teasing, " Oh well! She called me the baby's father. You can't have any idea how good that makes me feel!" A small tear tried to force it's way out of the corner of Misato's eye

"I have a pretty good idea, seeing how happy you look whenever you two are together. By the way, I was talking to Kaji the other day and he mentioned a few things…"

_"Uh oh,"_ he thought, "Oh, _talking_, that's what you two call it! I'm sure that's not what the medical journals call it…OWW!" he yelped as Misato smacked him on the back of the head, good naturedly.

"Now, now, no need to be rude," she said as he rubbed his sore head, " Kaji was telling about some interesting plans you have made. Care to fill me in?"

"Hmm, he must not be able to deny you, like I cannot deny Asuka," said Shinji, as the mentioned young girl heard this and filled it away for future reference, " Let's just say that it concerns looking after my family, all of my family: Asuka, the baby, you , and Rei."

"Warrk!" came an indignant call from the kitchen.

"Yes, you too, Pen-Pen. Can't forget you either!" the young man called back. Misato just stood there stunned, before retreating to the sofa. Shinji followed and took a seat close to her, as Asuka cracked the door open a bit more to hear.

"You consider all of us your family?" was her shocked reply. "Shinji, you don't need to look after me, I _am_ a grown woman, after all. And you, you're just a …"

"What, Misato? Just a kid? Just a boy? I haven't been one of those for a long time now. I'm just a guy who wants to take care of his loved ones. Yes, you included!" he said as Misato leaned against him and put her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"Are you going to do what Kaji told me?" she asked, hoping that she wouldn't be disappointed.

"Yes, if she'll have me," this caused Asuka's heat rate to sky rocket as Shinji said the words.

_"What does that mean?"_ she wondered nervously, her mind refusing to make the connection.

"… and if she doesn't, it won't matter. I promised to never leave, and I mean it!" Asuka's heart soared at this. What he had told her was true!

"Shinji," Misato said softly as her heart burst with pride, as he was contemplating something many grown men would refuse to even think about, "You really are a special guy! Asuka is so lucky!" Shinji blushed.

"No, if she was lucky, then this mess would have never happened and she wouldn't be in such pain." he said sadly before continuing, "Misato, I'll need you to call the school in the morning and tell them I'm not coming in. Hikari, Kensuke, and Rei will look after Asuka tomorrow. I have some…business…to attend to. I should be back before school let's out. I'll have something ready for you and Pen-Pen when you come in."

"Rei and Kensuke know?" Misato gasped, both at the news and how much like his father Shinji sounded. Not in a heartless way, just focused.

"Touji, too. We told them today after they backed me up in school. They deserved that much."

"I understand. Good luck tomorrow." the violet haired woman said as she got up and made her way to her room. "Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"Gotcha, Misato. Sweet dreams!"

"You, too!" she replied as she closed her door, leaving Shinji in the room with his thoughts. Tomorrow, all of their lives would change, hopefully for the better. It was taking every bit of his courage just to face what he had planned for the next day, but he would not falter. Slowly he got up and made his way to bed.

It wasn't more than five minutes after he hit the sheets before a familiar shape plopped in bed beside him and snuggled up to him. His smile could have lit up all of Tokyo-3 for a year. There hadn't been a night since Asuka found out she was pregnant that she hadn't sought comfort in Shinji's bed, but it was usually in the middle of the night, never so early in the evening.

_"What could this mean?"_ he asked himself, then felt ashamed at the selfish feeling that washed over him. "Evening, m'lady!"

"M'lady, hmmm? Does that make you my knight in shining armour, now?" she cooed as she propped up on one elbow, looking at his face in the dim light. She had never realized how cute he was when they first met, and now he was growing into a very handsome man.

"Purple and green, actually," Shinji chuckled, drawing a laugh from the woman who owned his heart._ "Damn! Does she know how much cooing drives me wild?"_

"So, what were you and Misato talking about? The tension this evening was thicker than a loaf of pumpernickel. I know you two talked after I went to bed." she said as she stroked his chest.

"Oh, just about stuff. She chewed me out for hurting Hoju today and such," he replied, not wanting to let her know too much of what was about to happen.

"Come on, I know it was more than that!" she purred in his ear "I know you can't deny me, you told Misato so,"

"Sneak," he said as he tried to gather his thoughts. Unfortunately, with Asuka being so close and working her magic, it was very…difficult…to concentrate on anything but her touch and closeness. He knew she was counting on that. "Not fair!"

"I never said life was fair," she continued to purr.

"I'm going to go talk to someone tomorrow, to see what I can to help secure our baby's future, and yours as well."

"Do you really consider all of us your family? Rei included?" she asked, a little timidly.

"Yes, Asuka, I do. Misato is like a mother to both of us, and Rei is my sister. You and the baby, well, you both occupy a very special place in my heart." he replied. He could feel warmth coming from the lady laying next to him.

"Do you really think Hoju…?" she whispered quietly, her voice shaky.

"No, I don't. I don't think he came to the party, but it's best to rule him out," he said softly.

"And…if he is?" she was almost crying now. Shinji reached over and caressed her face, calming her greatly.

"It doesn't matter," he said, "he'll never touch you again, and he'll never know the baby. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't exist. I care for you and the little one, Asuka. That will never change."

"Shinji?" she asked a few minutes later, after she calmed down. "_I have to know,"_ she thought desperately.

"Yes, hon?" he replied absentmindedly, not realizing what he just said.

"Since when do you call me 'hon'? " Asuka said teasingly, knowing he had let something slip. Score one for Asuka.

"Since when do you call me 'baby'?" he asked, which drew a gasp from her.

"I never called…oh, wait…I did, didn't I?" she replied sheepishly, recalling the fight at school. She giggled a bit. He joined her.

"Yes, you did. And thank you," he said from the bottom of his heart.

"How do you really feel about me?" she asked, looking at his face once, "Please tell me?" She wasn't sure if she looked forward to his answer or not.

"Asuka," he said, letting out a long sigh, knowing this was the time, "I love you. I always have, and I always will."

"Really?!" she squeaked, not trusting her ears. It was too much to hope for.

"Yes, really," he said with a smile, grateful that she hadn't pulled away from him and bolted into her own room. What happened next shocked him beyond words, beyond thought. Asuka gently kissed him, this time a real kiss, without a nose pinch. Her lips were intoxicating, and he felt himself melt into the bed. All too soon, it was over and she lay next to him once more.

"When you told Misato 'if she'll have me', what did you mean?" Asuka wondered, needing to know the answer to that question. She still hadn't made the connection.

"I promise, I'll tell you tomorrow, Asuka. I have to get a few things straightened out tomorrow, then I promise I'll tell you everything. Okay?" he said, trying to dodge the question, and let her get some rest.

"Please?" she said in her most pleading voice.

"Hush," it was now his turn to say it, " you and our little one need to rest . You have school tomorrow." A few minutes later, he felt the relaxed breathing of the fiery redhead as she slept peacefully on his chest.

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The next day, Shinji stood before NERV headquarters, waiting for his backup to arrive. He paced nervously, for even though he was firm in his resolve, years of avoiding conflict had instilled the 'flight' part of the 'fight-or-flight' mechanism deep within his psyche. It was difficult, but Shinji would stand his ground. This was for Asuka.

"Looking sharp, Mr. Ikari. I see that you took my advise," his backup called out as he approached.

"Thanks, Kaji" was Shinji's reply as he looked down at what he was wearing. His clothing was almost entirely black, as Kaji had told him to dress as intimidating as he could, as if for battle. His new black suit was perfectly tailored to give him the most imposing look possible. His jacket was unbuttoned, revealing the black silk shirt beneath. Black leather driving gloves covered his hands like a second skin and his black boots held the perfect spit shine. The only trace of color anywhere was the blood red silk tie that hung from Shinji's neck, and knotted perfectly. Kaji was astounded at the look Shinji had, a younger version of his father. Same intensity of the eyes, different drive. The statement was almost complete.

"Nice touch," Kaji said as pointed to the tie. Shinji blushed a bit at the complement. Kaji held out a small box for Shinji to open. "Here's the finishing touch!"

"Whoa," Shinji replied as he opened the box, and pulled out a pair of red tinted glasses with wire rims and round lenses. He put them on, worrying whether he would be able to see out of them properly, but was surprised when he discovered they seemed to make things a little more sharp. "Thanks."

"And now the image is complete," Kaji said as he patted Shinji on the shoulder. "The eyes are the window to the soul, and a master tactician never allows any opening to be revealed. Ready?"

"Is everything in order?" Shinji asked in a controlled way that made Kaji shiver. _"Too much like Gendo"_ he thought.

"Yes sir, Mr. Ikari! All is in readiness and everything is set. Here is the documentation you requested," Kaji said as he passed a thick envelope to Shinji, who flashed him a smile in thanks.

"Shall we proceed then?" Shinji said as he slid the envelope into his jacket pocket and turned. He and Kaji proceeded to enter NERV HQ.

The reactions Shinji received when he traveled through headquarters was the exact one he wished to achieve. Jaws dropped, people stared, and crowds parted before him. He never noticed, as his focus was directed toward the office that was his end destination.

Misato looked up from her desk, wondering for the hundredth time why in hell so much paperwork was require to be filled out when there hadn't been an Angel attack in months, when something strange caught her eye. Jumping up quickly, she rushed to the door to just in time to see a very different Shinji marching down the hall.

"Shinji?" she called out as the young man stopped and turned to greet her.

"Good morning, Major," Shinji replied in a cool, controlled voice which startled the hell out of Misato, "Is your day going well?"

"Uh, yeah, it is. But, what are…" she asked as Kaji caught up with her and lead her into her office.

"Not now, Misato, this is something Shinji must do," he whispered to her as she stared at her charge as he walked back down the hallway toward an office that most people in NERV avoided like the plague.

"Commander?" the secretary called out over the intercom, "You…you have a visitor." Gendo Ikari growled at the intrusion, which drew a small chuckle from Fuyutsuki.

"Tell them to go away," he snarled as he and Fuyutsuki turned back to the plans they had been making.

"Sir, he refuses. It's your son…" the secretary called back again. Gendo sighed with irritation. Fuyutsuki raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Send him in, and clean out your desk. I will not tolerate failure to follow my instructions," Gendo replied as he grinned viciously at the startled cry that came from the intercom. The door opened and Gendo listened to the footsteps steadily making their way across the room. There was no hesitation in the stride, which surprised Gendo. He looked up at Fuyutsuki's face, but his old sensei's expression was unreadable.

"What is it?" Gendo said dismissively, not even bothering to turn to face his son.

"Father," a cold, controlled voice called back, freezing Gendo on the spot, " was that truly necessary?" Gendo spun around slowly.

He came face to face with a younger version of himself. Shinji stood like a wraith before his father's desk, blending into the shadows perfectly, with the exception of his face, glasses and tie. For the first time in a long while, Gendo felt a shiver run down his spine. Shinji's face was unreadable, and the light reflected eerily off the blood red glasses. Shinji's manner was completely foreign.

"I will not tolerate failure, as well you know."

"Then how do you tolerate yourself?" Shinji replied, causing Gendo to pause and Fuyutsuki's jaw to drop. No one _ever_ spoke to the Commander that way. "I refused to leave, she was not to blame."

"A man must take responsibility for his own actions," Gendo replied, making no sign that he had even heard Shinji's insult..

"Indeed, and so I shall," came the cold reply, shocking the two older men somewhat. This was definitely not the Shinji either of them knew. "Let me come to point."

"Please do, my time is not to be wasted," the elder Ikari said smugly. Shinji smiled coldly.

"I have come to discuss the Second Child." Shinji said, as if it was the most obvious thing, and only an idiot would miss it.

"Of course. You are transparent, you know," Gendo said, smiling. Section 2's reports were accurate after all. He had doubted Shinji would act the way they had reported.

"No more so than you," Shinji shot back, causing Gendo to drop the smile. "I have need to know what you plan to do with Miss Soryu. She is in no condition to tolerate the stress of uncertainty. Her future must be assured." Fuyutsuki's eyes shot open wide as saucers. Gendo just sat there.

"I have yet to decide her fate, Pilot Ikari. I fail to see how that concerns to you. After you're little escapade in the medical wing, it should be your fate that you should worry about. "

"Ah, I see," Shinji said as he pushed his glasses up his face exactly like Gendo. "It does concern you, and everyone else, Father."

"How so? What is to keep me from shipping her off to Germany, broken and destitute?" his father asked, not used to being questioned by a subordinate.

"I am," the young pilot replied, "if you wish for me to pilot Unit One ever again.

"What?!" his father barked, standing up behind the desk. "What makes you think we need you to pilot Unit One? We can use any pilot, or the Dummy Plug System! I should ship you away, as before. We have no need for you."

"You lie poorly, Father," Shinji said calmly as he produced the envelope from his jacket and pulled several document from it and threw them on Gendo's desk. "As you well know, Unit One will not accept another pilot. Nor will she accept the Dummy Plug System. I, and only I, can pilot Unit One. She will reject everything else."

"She?" Gendo asked blankly, praying that Shinji hadn't discovered the secret of his EVA's power.

"Mother." he said simply, causing Gendo to blanch.

"How? How did you know?" Gendo asked with genuine interest. He looked at the documents on the desk. Fuyutsuki went deathly pale. "_Yui."_

"You're not going to find it in any document there, Father. You did too good of a job purging all files. You, however, cannot purge _her_. She tells me, every time I sync with Unit One. I even know the secret of how she became one with the EVA." Shinji added with a sinister smile. "Doctor Akagi's mother was an …_interesting_…woman, to say the least. Evil, to say the most. I can see the experiment in my mind every time I climb into that entry plug, I can see how the previous Doctor Akagi purposely set the controls to keep mother from escaping, to cause her death. Do you think that Project E's top scientist couldn't spot sabotage to the systems she carefully crafted, right down to the fail-safes that didn't kick in. That was an inside job, and she knew it."

Gendo plopped into his seat, deflated. He had always suspected it, but Doctor Akagi had covered her tracks very well. No proof existed. Shinji had him over a barrel, because without Unit One, any plans for the future he would create would vanish like the morning dew in the heat of day.

"What do you want, Shinji?" Gendo asked, causing Shinji's heart to skip, but showing no outward sign of it.

"First off," Shinji stated as he read off the list he had memorized over the past two weeks, "Asuka and baby are to stay here in Japan, under mine and Major Katsuragi's care, and no harm is to come to either one of them. This is paramount."

"Understood," Gendo replied, his hands propped up on the desk and hiding the lower part of his face.

"Next, she is to be taken off the current combat rolls and put on indefinite paid leave until such time as I and her doctors see fit to release her," Shinji stated firmly, This was not up for discussion, as far as he was concerned.

"What if we need Unit Two to battle the Angels?" Fuyutsuki asked, wondering if the young pilot had thought that far in advance. Gendo nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. We cannot leave ourselves defenseless due to some child's whim," Gendo added, trying to get a reaction from Shinji. He got one.

"That problem has been solved," Shinji said as he held up a small device and clicked a button. The doors opened once more as another figure walked into the room and stood beside Shinji.

"Pilot Suzahara reporting in for duty, Commander," Touji said as he snapped to attention before Gendo and Fuyutsuki. Both men were taken aback.

"With the modifications specified in this file made to Unit Two and the Dummy Plug System, Pilot Suzahara will have no trouble piloting the EVA. His injuries have healed nicely and he is ready to do his part." Shinji said as he placed the file before the Commander. "A copy of this has been given to Lt. Ibuki for implementation."

"Anything else?" Gendo asked, know this wasn't the end.

"Indeed. Major Katsuragi, Pilot Soryu, and I have need of larger living accommodations, seeing how a new member of the family is on it's way," Shinji saw Gendo flinch at the word 'family', "We also have need in a large increase in our allowances and pay. I also request that my sister is to removed from the horrid conditions in which she currently resides and have her moved next to us."

"And?" the elder Ikari wondered.

"Pilot Soryu is to be escorted to and from her prenatal checkups at the hospital. Doctor Akagi and her staff are not to come close to Pilot Soryu unless it is a life threatening emergency. Also, Major Katsuragi is to be assigned an assistant to help her in her duties as Operations Director, and given a larger office. I have someone in mind for her assistant."

"Understood."

"We also need to start a search for the father of the child. I suggest DNA testing and comparison with a sample that shall be provided by the doctor in the future. The father is to have nothing to do with the child, and punished appropriately for his transgressions. This needs to start immediately. I suggest starting with every male who attended Major Katsuragi's party, as well as all males currently going to school with myself and Pilot Soryu."

"Agreed," the older men said in unison. They could not believe the change that overcome Shinji.

"Thank you, gentlemen. By your leave," he bowed as he and Touji turned to leave. They got about three steps before Commander Ikari called back out.

"Do you need a ride back home, Shinji? I heard that you have sold you motorcycle." Shinji stopped in his tracks, as Touji's jaw hit the floor.

"Dude? Your bike?" Touji stammered as Shinji waved him quiet.

"That would be appreciated, Father," Shinji replied, not knowing what to make of his father's sudden interest. "Thank you."

"Why did you sell your bike, Shinji?" Fuyutsuki asked gently. He had always had a soft spot in his heart for Yui's son.

"Expenses, sir. Unexpected expenses." was the reply.

"Was it expensive?" the older man asked. Shinji stiffened at the question. Touji was completely clueless.

"Not unduly so, sir," he answered, recovering somewhat. Never show weakness, Kaji had told him.

"Do you love her?" his father asked, shaking Shinji to the core, but not showing any outward sign of such, merely a cocking of an eyebrow.

"Yes," Shinji replied with conviction, as if that was the dumbest question in the world. Touji looked like he was ready to hit the floor. Before he could turn to leave, his father spoke once more.

"I have met your requests, now you will meet one of mine."

"_Aw crap,"_ he thought, _"here it comes…" _

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Commander on the Deck!" Fuyutsuki called out as everyone stood. Gendo strode out onto the command dais and turned to face the assemble crew.

"As many of you may know, there is a current crisis concerning the Second Child," the elder Ikari stated, "effective immediately, all male NERV personnel will submit to mandatory DNA testing to determine the perpetrator of this crisis. Any and all personnel refusing to be tested will be terminated and subject to criminal investigation and or prosecution. Medical personnel will be around shortly to collect the samples. This is NOT optional!"

There was a general mood of discontent at the commander's announcement, not wanting to believe that they were suspects in harming the Second Child. Some were outright hostile to the idea. Aoba was the most vocal.

"What the hell is this, Commander? Who the hell came up with this Machiavellian dictate? I find it extremely offensive that we are accused of a crime without proof!" Aoba shout toward the dais, not caring what either of the older men thought.

"The idea was _mine,_" a controlled voice replied from behind the Commander, " Is that an admission of guilt, Lt. Aoba?"

"Who the hell is that?" Aoba barked. The voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"The new Commander of Combat Groups, Captain Ikari," Fuyutsuki announced as Shinji stepped from behind the two men, brand new captain's bars pinned to the lapel of his jacket. "Captain Ikari will be in command anytime the operations director, Major Katsuragi, is indisposed. His main purpose is to command the operational combat groups in the field. If the Major isn't here, you will report to the Captain."

"Do you have a problem with this, Lt. Aoba?" Shinji asked, sounding too much like his father for anyone's taste. "If not, I suggest you volunteer to be the first one to be tested to prove your innocence."

"Uh, yes sir," Aoba replied as the medical teams entered the bridge and started to do their job. Gendo and Fuyutsuki glanced at one another as Shinji stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.

_"Sleeper, indeed,"_ the elder Ikari thought as a small smile etched itself on his face, as he watched Shinji observe the medical staff collect their samples. Many of the medical staff on the floor would glance toward Shinji and shiver as the cold stare he gave them spurred them on their way.

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Misato Katsuragi was beside herself. One moment she was working on some paperwork as she was speaking to Kaji. Next, an army of NERV personnel descended on her office and began to gather up files, boxes, reports, and such. She just stood, shocked, before she was able to find her voice once more.

"Kaji, what's happening here?" she blurted out, as drones continued to see to there tasks, oblivious to her outburst. Commander Ikari had given them their orders, and they were definitely going to carry them out.

"You're asking me, doll?" Kaji replied as he scooted out of the way of a swiftly moving drone. "I'm just as much in the dark as you."

"Bullshit," Misato snorted, knowing the man was up to something.

"However, I wonder if this has to do with…" he started.

"Knock, knock," a familiar voice called out, as Shinji walked in and took a seat on the other side of the desk from Misato. Kaji threw him a mock salute, which Shinji returned before stripping off the gloves and glasses. "I hope to God to never have to do that again!" He blew out a long, relaxing breath.

"I take it the meeting went well?" Kaji grinned as Shinji couldn't hide the pleasure on his face.

"Can't you tell?" he gestured at the slowly thinning crowd. "They should have your new office ready in an hour or so, Misato."

"New office?," she asked suspiciously, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Kaji reached over and pinched her butt, breaking the serious pose. Shinji snickered.

"Yep! New office, and this to go with it," he added as he tossed a set of car keys to Misato. "Company car. The Commander said something about 'reliable transportation', and 'death trap'"

"Guess you expect to drive my old one, then?" she teased, getting ready to toss Shinji her own set.

"Uh, actually, it's a matching set," he replied as he produced his own set, enjoying the shocked looks on both of their faces.

"Just how the hell did you manage that?" Misato gasped. She had been trying to get The Old Man to cough one up for years, and now there were two.

"He claimed it was 'to help look secure the welfare of the pilots and the unborn child.' Something to do with your driving, I think." Shinji said with a wide teasing grin on his face. Kaji smirked as Misato fumed. She _hated_ being teased. "But seriously…"

About that time, a new drone arrived and removed the board on the desk stating 'Director of Operations' and replaced it with one stating 'Commander, Combat Groups'. Shinji's eyes widened somewhat as he saw that. He hadn't expected an office, to go with the rest. Misato snatched it up and scowled fiercely. Kaji took a step back.

"Who the hell is that? What in the world is going on here?" she yelled, quite flustered. It was then that Kaji noticed Shinji's lapel, and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"Captain Ikari!" a young female voice rang out down the hallway. Shinji stood up just in time to be caught up in a huge hug by a small, dark haired girl, looking little older than Shinji himself

"Captain Ikari?!" Misato yelped, utterly stunned.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" the girl squealed as Shinji did his best to extract himself from the hug before he would pass out.

"Welcome…Mariko…can't…breath…" he gasped as the young NERV tech relaxed her grip, blushing severely.

_"Crap! It looks like Asuka's got some competition. Damn, she's cute, too!" _Misato thought as she sized up the newcomer. "Aren't you Commander Ikari's secretary?"

"Yes ma'am, but he was going to fire me, until Captain Ikari put in a good word for me! This means so much to me and my little brother. This job is the only way we can pay the bills!"

"Ah! Shinji the hero to the rescue!" Kaji teased, causing Shinji to blush. "_Amazing! After facing down his father, he can still blush!"_

"Uh, it was my fault she was terminated. I was able to get my father to reassign her as someone's assistant."

"She wouldn't happen to be yours?" Kaji asked, amused and just a little concerned. The girl was cute and looking to Shinji with such gratitude. She wasn't much older than he was.

"Nope, actually she's now hers," Shinji replied with a grin as Misato's jaw dropped again. _"It is such a treat to find the Major speechless, for once," _he mused. "Misato, this is Technician Third Class Mariko Toranaga. Mariko, this is Major Misato Katsuragi, Director of Operations."

"Pleased to meet you, Mariko, " Misato said as she shook the young woman's hand. Mariko just beamed.

"You too, Major! The Captain told me all about you when he briefed me on my new assignment," Mariko gushed. Misato cocked an eyebrow toward Shinji, who just shrugged.

"Have you eaten yet, Mariko?" Misato asked as the young girl nodded her head. "Okay! Well, if you wouldn't mind, could you find my new office and start setting everything up? Come find me in the cafeteria in an hour so you can show me where it is. This was a bit sudden," she said with a sigh.

"Yes ma'am!" the girl chirped and followed the last of the techs, leaving a bare office with no sign of it's previous owner.

"Come on, you two!" Misato said as she grabbed both men by the arm and dragged them out of the office. "We need to talk!"

"What did we do?" they protested in unison, causing Misato to growl and increase her grip on their arms, causing both to wince as they were marched down the hall.

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"Okay, I take it this all has something to do with Shinji's meeting with his father," Misato fumed as she sat her tray down with a clatter, as the two men in her life joined her. "However, the first thing I want to know is: who is this Commander, Combat Groups? Sounds like they're trying to take my job! I've done a good job, damn it! Why should someone come in and try to replace me? Got any ideas, Kaji?"

"Not a one, Major. Perhaps if you ask the Captain…?" the older man replied.

Shinji almost choked on his drink before he could answer, shooting Kaji a dirty look. "Um, well, I mean, uh, I guess that would be me?" he stammered as the older couple sat in shocked silence. Kaji recovered first and congratulated Shinji.

"I know you said you wanted to take of us, Shinji, but taking my job isn't the answer!" she seethed a Kaji put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"It's not like that Misato!" Shinji protested, waving his hands in front of him. "You're still my boss! You still have your job…"

"The Commander thought it prudent to put an experienced combat pilot in charge of the active forces during a battle," another voice added as he took his place at their table. All three gaped at Commander Fuyutsuki as he proceeded to partake in lunch. He never ate in the cafeteria before, as far as they knew. "Major Katsuragi is still the operations director, and in over all charge of any and all operations. Captain Ikari's roll is to act as an extra set of eyes on the battlefield, and direct any attacks to any opportunity he may see. He is your backup, Major, your right hand man. Not your replacement."

"Oh," came Misato's reply, a bit shamefaced at jumping to conclusions, again.

"Much to the Captain's credit, he never asked for any rank or position," Fuyutsuki continued, "in fact the only thing he really asked for himself was an increase in his allowance and pay, as well as those of yourself and the other three pilots."

"Three pilots?" came Misato's startled reply. The only other pilot before was…

"Touji volunteered to pilot Unit Two while Asuka's on leave. With modifications to the DPS, he can pilot it with no problems," Shinji added as he munched on a rice ball.

"The Commander asked for one thing in return to answering Shinji's requests: That he take the rank of Captain and assumed the CCG position. He still must go to school, but on Summer vacation, he must come in and work a full shift every weekday. He is to also join you every once in a while to learn necessary procedures and protocols.

He is to be your backup as well. If you are indisposed or incapacitated in any way, the Captain will take command.

"Gendo said if Shinji was ready to assume a man's responsibilities, then he could assume a man's employment. It greatly increased his pay, as well his housing allotment. Between Shinji's, Asuka's and yours, Major, you can move into much larger living quarters, per the Captain's request." Fuyutsuki told Misato, who still hadn't touched her meal yet.

"So, I take it Asuka's staying in Japan, then?" Kaji asked, grinning at his protégé.

"Yes, she is. The Commander and I came to an…understanding," Shinji said with an evil grin. Fuyutsuki chuckled.

"I can tell you this, Shinji. I am very proud at how you handled your father. There are not many people on this planet who can stand up to Gendo Ikari and live to tell the tale, let alone get what they want. Good job, son!" the older man said as he picked up his tray and bid them good day. All three just sat there in silence.

"Uh, Shinji," Misato finally was able to ask, as her appetite slowly came back to her, "what all did you request from the Commander?" Shinji ran off the list of items and why he asked for them. Right then and there, she knew he had grown up. He hadn't asked for anything extraneous or extravagant, only what he needed to support and tend to his family.

"So, why did the Commander really offer you and Misato a car each?" Kaji asked nonchalantly, as he took a sip of his tea. Seeing Shinji sitting there, Kaji had the subconscious desire to straighten and tighten his own tie, so as not to be outdone by the younger man. He fought it though, and as usual, won.

"Yeah, it's not like him to consider the welfare of others, and Fuyutsuki said you didn't ask for it. So, what's up?" Misato was curious.

Cursing under his breath, Shinji took a deep breath. "I sold my bike."

"WHAT?!" Misato screamed , causing others in the cafeteria to look her way. A look from her told everyone else that this was none of their business. Kaji just sat back and smiled. "Are you nuts? Why?"

"Well, this suit wasn't cheap, Misato," Shinji said as he finished off his drink, "and neither were the dinner reservations I made for Asuka and myself."

"Come on, Shinji, spill it!" Kaji urged, guessing what was next. Misato shot him a quizzical look.

"And, uh, this was worth it…" Shinji stammered as he pulled a small object from his pocket and placed it on the table for his two friends to see. Misato's eyes shone with tears as she looked at it, then glanced at Kaji. Kaji looked visibly nervous, like it was a deadly cobra ready to strike.

"Oh, Shinji…"

"There were three parts to my plan. First was securing Asuka and the baby's future. Second was to provide security for our family. The third," Shinji gulped, "is the hardest part of all. To tell the truth, I'm scared shitless. Tonight, one way or another, everything is going to change…"

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Asuka, Rei, and Hikari were talking amongst themselves as they left the school when they saw a crowd of girls surrounding a sleek black car. The driver of the car leaned against the front fender, doing his best to answer their questions. He seemed to be trying to ignore the girls without hurting their feelings. The driver was wearing a black suit with a red tie, which nicely matched the red sunglasses he wore.

_"Damn, he looks hot!"_ Asuka thought to herself, before feeling a little ashamed at the thought. Her heart belonged to Shinji, whether either one of them knew it or not. She saw Hikari whisper something to Rei, as both girls broke into giggles. Asuka realized she was blushing, and she was sure the others had seen it.

"Okay, you two! Just what is so damn funny?" she demanded as the other two kept giggling, infuriating her further.

"But Asuka," Hikari teased, "isn't that guy with the car just so cute?" Rei kept giggling.

"What? Are you nuts? Just because he's got a cool car doesn't make him cute! I bet he's just a big…." Asuka was saying until she faltered. The driver was walking toward them now, much to the dismay of the crowd. His glasses slipped down his nose, and looking over them were the deepest, most adorable set of blue eyes she had ever seen. "Shinji?"

"M'lady, your chariot awaits," he said with a flourish that would have made Kaji proud. Asuka stood there in shock, as the crowd of girls began to depart and give Asuka a wide array of dirty looks. Shinji took Asuka by the hand and lead her to the car.

"What? How? Who's car is that?" she stammered.

"Come, I'll explain on the way," he said as he opened the door for her.

"Asuka, thank you for allowing Shinji to take us home," Rei said from the backseat as Shinji drove through the streets of Tokyo-3. They had just dropped Hikari off at her home.

"No sweat, Rei! What are friends for?" Asuka replied. Even though she and Rei had never gotten along real well in the past, the past couple of days have shown an amazing change. The two girls had a long talk about life, especially babies, and Shinji. Rei took the idea of protecting and helping Asuka seriously. She also looked forward to being an aunt.

Asuka glanced at the man sitting beside her, escorting her throughout the city. Shinji explained everything that had happened that day to them all as he drove. While she wasn't too happy about Touji piloting Unit Two, she understood the reason. The rest made her as happy as a clam.

"It shouldn't take too long for NERV personnel to have our new living quarters ready, Rei. You may want to pack and be ready to go when they arrive. It might take a couple of days, max.," Shinji said as he pulled in front of the rundown apartment complex she called home.

"Shinji, I …don't know what to say," Rei said softly as she leaned forward and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, say 'thank you'! Duh!" Asuka said with a smirk as Rei turned and gave her an over-the-seat hug.

"You don't mind me moving in next door?" Rei asked.

"I don't mind, Rei. After all, we're all family, and family needs to be close and look out for one another," Asuka replied. She knew Shinji wanted to look out for his sister, as well as have her close in case anything happens to herself or the baby. The idea of Shinji thinking of them all as family was really heartwarming.

"Alright, mister," Asuka growled as Shinji pulled away from Rei's place, "What the hell were all those girls doing crowding around you when I came out? Hmm?"

"Relax Asuka," Shinji said, somewhat nervously, "they were just asking about the car. That's all."

"Bullshit!" she seethed, "You mean to tell me that even though you stood there looking all cool and sexy, that those tramps were just interested in the car?!"

Shinji almost drove off the road in surprise at what Asuka just admitted._ "She thinks that of me? Wow!"_

"_Aw crap, did I just say that? Damn hormones!!"_ she thought, blushing beyond belief. "Hey watch it, you idiot! Are you trying to kill us?"

"Sorry! Pothole," he lied, hoping that Asuka wouldn't see how flustered he was. Being so flustered herself, she didn't notice.

"Like I said, Asuka, relax!" Shinji reasoned with her, as he started feeling a bit crest fallen, "No one in their right minds would ever think that of me. I'm just plain old boring Shinji," he said a bit sadly. It broke her heart, for him to feel so down about himself.

"I do," she said softly, as she reached over and patted his leg. She saw him blush, but his face still lit up brighter than she had ever seen it before. She was blushing as they pulled into the parking lot of their building. _"Damn, he does look sexy!"_ she mused as he came around and opened her door. The two teenagers walked hand in hand to their apartment

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"Asuka, are you done yet?" Shinji asked her through her bedroom door. He had finished Misato and Pen-pen's dinner and had it in the refrigerator for them. Now he waited for Asuka to finish. And waited, and waited.

"Hold your horses! You can't rush perfection, you know!" she called back as he shook his head and sighed.

"You can't improve on it either!" he replied, having the desired effect. She slid her door open and looked at him with dreamy eyes.

"Really?" she beamed, a beautiful smile on her face.

"_Wow!"_ he thought as she stood before him. She had her hair pulled up on one side, coming up above and behind her ear, as the other side hung loose. Asuka wore a red dress that fit her perfectly. It was slightly pleated and came to just above her knees, and while the sleeves were long, they left her shoulders bare. Her tan hose and red heels completed the outfit perfectly. "Really! You are so beautiful!" he replied, awestruck.

"Good! I wouldn't have it any other way!" she said as she took his arm. When he had told her that he had made dinner reservations for the two of them that evening, it came as a total shock. She couldn't understand what had happened to Shinji, but for the most part, the changes were for the better. She knew which dress to wear, because she had bought it a couple of months back, in case he had ever got enough courage up to ask her out. "So, where are we going?"

"You know that restaurant you keep telling me that you're wanting to try?" he asked with a smile as he led her out the door.

"_ The Skyline_? No way!" she gasped.

"Way!" he said as he closed the door.

"Warrk?" Pen-Pen said, watching the young couple leave, and hoping that Misato would come home and _not_ forget about his dinner.

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"May I help you?" the host asked haughtily as Shinji and Asuka stood before him.

"Ikari, party of two," Shinji replied smoothly.

_"He must be taking Kaji lessons,"_ Asuka mused.

"I'm sorry, but we don't serve _children_ here," came the drab reply. Asuka was stunned, as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Please check again. It's under Captain Ikari," Shinji replied calmly.

"Sir, making reservations in your father's name and bringing a date does not count, and reeks of betrayed trust. Please leave now."

"Now, wait a second here!" Asuka started to complain loudly, when a second man arrived on the scene, having been summoned by the first.

"Is there a problem here?" the newcomer asked, and before the host could reply, Shinji cut him off.

"Are the manager, sir?" Shinji asked politely, much too politely for Asuka's taste, and drawing a searing look from the host.

"Yes, sir. My name is Thomas Sky, and I own and manage _The Skyline._ How may I help you?" Shinji took Thomas over to the side.

"Yes, sir. My name is Captain Shinji Ikari," Shinji said as he handed his NERV ID and his business card to Thomas, "Commander of Combat Groups and designated pilot of Evangelion Unit One. In case you are wondering what that is, it is the rather large purple and green EVA that has saved this city time and time again."

"Yes, sir," Thomas said with a gulp. He had seen the EVA in action before, and heard much of it's young pilot.

"I called up here earlier in the day and made reservations for this evening. Now, do you see that lovely young lady right there?" he said, motioning to Asuka.

"Yes, sir. She's very beautiful," the manager replied, still a little shaken by standing next to the young man who could make a giant dance on a dime. Shinji's NERV ID didn't help much.

"Indeed. She is very near and dear to me, and tonight is to be a special evening for her. I would hate to see it ruined because one man thought we were not good enough to dine here. It might not be good for business if NERV personnel aren't welcome here." Thomas went pale.

"Understood sir! If you like, dinner will be on the house tonight for all that you have done for us," the manager said with genuine respect. Anyone who would fight against the giant monsters that kept attacking was a hero in his book.

"That is most generous," Shinji said in thanks, as he and Thomas returned to Asuka.

"Not a problem! In fact, I believe our best table is ready as we speak," the manager replied as he motioned toward a cozy little table for two right by the windows _The Skyline_ was known for. The view of Tokyo-3 and the mountains was perfect.

"Maurice, you are to go home for the rest of the evening," Thomas said as he led Shinji and Asuka to their table.

"But, sir! Who is to work my place tonight?" the host protested until a look from Thomas shut him down. "Yes, sir."

"I'll take care of my guests tonight, since you seem to lack the desire to do so!" Thomas shot back. He showed the couple to the table, where Shinji held Asuka's chair for her as gentleman should. "I'll send my best waiter over as soon as possible to take your order."

"Thank you, Mr. Sky," Asuka said with gratitude. "This is a lovely place you…oh my!" she gasped as she looked out the window for the first time.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?," Thomas said at her reaction, smiling. "Please, call me 'Thomas'. If there is anything you need, please let me know." With that, the manager left the two teens alone.

"The view is absolutely beautiful," Asuka beamed as she looked out the windows and over the bright lights of Tokyo-3, with the mountains in the background. It was like it was specially crafted to get hearts going.

"Yes, it is," Shinji replied, not look out, but rather toward the woman he loved. To see her so happy and alive was all he could ask for. She turned and saw him staring. Asuka blushed.

"Quit that! Your going to get sap all over your suit!" she teased, as she playfully slapped at him. He just sat and laughed, drawing giggles from her.

Thomas made good his promise, as the waiter that helped them was very professional and experienced, and served them warmly. He complemented the couple on their appearance and their choice of dinner, and made sure he personally took care of anything they needed. By the time the evening was over, he and the couple laughed and joked like they were old friends. Shinji made sure to leave him a large tip, as well as a recommendation of a raise in pay.

As for Shinji and Asuka, they just enjoyed the evening and each other, letting themselves forget about the problems and troubles that had plagued them the past month. They talked about everyone and everything under the sun, neither of them becoming nervous, nor allowing any moment to become awkward. Asuka filled him in on the gossip that floated around school that day, as well as what all had been said about the two of them this past month. Shinji didn't care what was said about him, but he wouldn't allow anyone to say a cross word about Asuka. She even told him how Rei had read one girl the riot act in the classroom when she claimed Shinji was out because of what happened with Hoju. Shinji laughed at the thought of his sister standing there in class, hands on her hips, and chewing this girl out.

Asuka realized how comfortable she was with Shinji, and how she could never think of her life without him. After all, he was such a sweet guy, kind, caring, and down right good looking to boot. He seemed to be totally devoted to her, which really threw her for a loop. All in all, she was happy, and happy to be with Shinji. She looked at him, and saw the happy, content smile on his face.

All too soon, the dinner was over, and they thanked their server and Thomas. Shinji promised to tell everyone at NERV about the great time they had in his place, to which Thomas thanked them profusely. If you can get in good with NERV in this town, you're set. The two men waved to the young couple as they left the restaurant.

"Well, what's next, Shinji?" Asuka wondered as the two of them strolled out of the building and onto the sidewalk. "It's still early, and I really don't want this night to end."

"Let's take a walk in the park," he said as he led her across the street. She clung to his arm as they strolled down the paths, two teenagers clearly in love. The moon was full, which lit up the park in a heavenly glow.

"Wow, that is so beautiful," Asuka said as she looked up at the moon, it reflecting brightly in her blue eyes. Shinji looked at her and felt his heart skip a beat. The moonlight in her hair and on her face was magical.

"Not as beautiful as you," he said, meaning every word. She looked back at him and smirked. "I know, really sappy," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, but you better not stop!" she teased, as they both started to giggle. They found a bench and sat down, holding each other, relaxing and enjoying the night. A little while later, Asuka asked, "Shinji, do you ever think about the future?"

"Lately, it seems that is all I think of," he replied honestly. "That was what the meeting was about today. I had to make sure your and the baby's futures were secured. I hope that didn't upset you too much, like I was overstepping my bounds."

"I'm not upset," Asuka answered, "I was a little surprised, but not upset. I was so used to taking care of myself before, but I can't think just about me any more. I have someone else to think of now. Besides, you promised to take care of us, and I just saw that as a part of that promise." She smiled sweetly and gratefully. Shinji saw something in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"That's exactly what it was," he said, glad she wasn't mad.

"I only worry, though, about whether this is fair to you," she replied, sounding a little sad, "I mean, you have told me that you are going to take care us and never leave. But what if you find someone else, or you grow tired of me? What if you start to resent being tied to us when you want to lead your own life? I am so grateful to you, and don't want to lose you, and…and…I care for you so much, Shinji! The thought of being without you scares me, and the thought of you growing to hate me is horrible!" She started to sniff back some tears.

"Now, now! No tears, not tonight!" he said gently as he wrapped her up in a hug. "I could never hate you, or resent you, or grow tired of you. I love you, Asuka. Never forget that!" He knelt down in front of her, looking her in eyes and taking her hands.

"I want you and the baby in my life! It scares me so much that you may leave one day, after finding some guy who can take care of you two they way that you should . Some guy that will come in and sweep you off you your feet, and charm you right out of my life. I wake up at nights, with that thought in my mind. I see you next to me, and that makes it all better. I can't even think of you not being in my life. I…I never thought you would feel the same! That was a dream I never thought possible."

"No guy is going to come sweep me off my feet, you idiot!" she said softly and without malice. She reached up and caressed his face, "Somebody already has! I'll be with you as long as you'll have me! If you ever find someone else who can treat you like the great guy you are, I won't get in your way, even if it tears me up. I just want to be with you. I love you, Shinji Ikari!"

Shinji felt like he had just been hit in the head with a hammer._ "She loves me? She really said she loves me? She wants to be with me? I have got to be dreaming!"_ He started to tremble ever so slightly as he reached a hand into his pocket and wrapped it around the small object in there.

"I love you, Asuka. I always have, and I always shall! I know there are better men in the world out there than I, but I can promise there is no one out there who will love you more than me. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, and taking care of our baby." He pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it up, revealing a gold ring with several small diamonds.

_"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod…" _she thought as she saw the ring in his hand, as her heart started pounding in her chest, her breathing becoming labored, _"This is got to be a dream! This shit doesn't happen in real life! He's going to ask, oh my god, he's going ask…"_

"Asuka Langley Soryu, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?" he asked, looking her straight in the eye. She could see the love in his eyes, hear the conviction in his voice, and feel the slight tremor in his body. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, never thinking this man would love her enough to ask _that _question, pledging his entire life and purpose to her. She stayed silent for several seconds, shocked, as her mind tried to process the question.

Doubt flooded Shinji's eyes after she didn't answer, "If you don't want to, I understand," he said, trying to keep the lump in his throat from choking him, " but I will still be here.." He was cut silent by fingers gently pressed against his lips.

"Yes," she said gently, a radiant smile on her face, "I'll marry you." She reached around and hugged his neck. "You'll never know how long I've wanted to hear that from you!" she whispered in his ear.

"You'll never know how long I've wanted to ask that!" he replied as he hugged her gently. Gently, she broke the embrace, as he sat back on his heels and placed the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit.

"How did you know?" she wondered about the fit, as she admired how the ring shone in the moonlight. Tears of joy streamed down her face.

"I just knew, must have been our sync training still hitting us when we least expect it," he replied as he looked at the woman in front of him, the woman who agreed to be his wife. He got off his knees and sat beside her once more, taking and holding her hand. His heart was still beating like mad, and a small, happy tear slid down the corner of one eye.

"Shinji Ikari, are you crying?" she said through her own tears. She reached over and touched it.

"Not very manly, huh? Guess you now know you're marrying a wimp," he said sadly, as she leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Hush, you're not a wimp. That's a happy tear if I ever saw one," she smiled, making him feel so much better. The two of them continued to sit on that bench for quite a while, enjoying the night and each other's company. They thought about the future, and the enormity of what they had just done. They had no regrets. Finally, Asuka stood and took her fiancé by the hand.

"Come on, baby, let's go home." she said with a smile at thinking about going home with the man she loved.

"Yeah, we should get home and let Misato off the hook!" he said with a mischievous grin as they walked hand in hand back to the car.

"Misato knows?" Asuka asked, taken aback. "She knew you were going to ask me to marry you?"

"Well, I had told Kaji, who of course told Misato. I showed her the ring today when she asked me why I sold my bike…"

"Whoa!" Asuka said as she stopped dead in her tracks, "You sold your bike?! Why?"

"To buy your ring," he said simply. Asuka was stunned.

"But, but you loved that bike!"

"I love you more, Asuka," he replied, as her turned to face her, " that was just a toy." Tears started anew as she wrapped him in a big hug.

"You idiot," she said fondly, "I never got a chance to ride on it!" she teased as they started walking again.

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"THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!" Misato screamed as she continued to pace her small apartment. Kaji just made sure to stay out of her way as she prowled around, looking like she was wanting to hit something. He refused to give her an easy target.

"Misato, try to relax, will you?" he said, trying to sooth her troubled brow. Kaji knew how much those two kids meant to her, and like Shinji said, tonight would change everything.

"How can I relax?! You know what he has planned! I'm so scared one or both of them are going to get hurt by this! Oh hell, why couldn't Shinji be like most men and run screaming from this situation?" Kaji looked hurt at what she said.

"I'm not the one who ran, Misato," he said sadly. That stopped her cold, as she walked over to sofa and plopped down, with Kaji right beside her. She took his hand and sat quietly for a second or so.

"I know," she said softly, "I'm the one who ran from commitment, not you. I was scared. Like I am now."

"I understand," Kaji soothed, "Those two mean an awful lot to you, don't they? To both of us."

"Yeah, they do," she added, lost in thought, "it's like I got a second chance to be a mother, after we lost…" Kaji gently touched her lips to silence her.

"Not now, not tonight. Please?" he asked. Misato just nodded. Pen-Pen waddled through the living room, giving the two humans a strange look, before running off with the beer he had kept hidden from everyone. Misato's eyes followed the beer longingly.

"Been hard?"

"Very," she replied as she tried to keep her hands from shaking. She was going to fight this and win. Just then, the front door slid open, as Shinji and Asuka walked in, arm-in-arm and smiling more than she had ever seen them smile before. "It about time you two got home!"

"What? It's not even ten yet!" Asuka said mischievously,as Shinji shook his head and laughed as two of the women he loved gave each other mock glares, before they broke in giggles as well.

"Well? Did you two have a good time on your date?" Kaji asked teasingly, hoping beyond hope he would get the right answer.

"Oh, you could say that," Shinji replied nonchalantly as Asuka raised her left hand and wiggled her finger, letting the light flash of off the diamonds. An ecstatic smile lit up Asuka's face as she thought about what that meant.

"OH MY GOD!! YOU REALLY SAID YES?!" Misato screamed as she leapt off of the sofa, knocking Kaji to the ground and trampling poor Pen-Pen as she rushed the two teenagers and wrapped them up in her patented Misato-sized hug. "Oh God! I'm so happy for you two!!" she gushed, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Congradulations, Shinji!" Kaji said as he slapped the young man on the shoulder, then whispered in his ear, "You have got a bigger set of balls than any man I know!" Shinji blushed. "When's the date?"

"We're not sure yet. We still need to get moved into the new place, then get her dress, send out invitations…" Shinji was saying, before getting cut off by Asuka.

"As soon as possible, after we move!" Asuka said as she grabbed Shinji by the waist, "You're mine now, Ikari! I'm not going to give you any chance to run and escape!"

"Lord, I'm in trouble now," he teased as she playfully slapped his shoulder, as all four of them went to the living room to talk about the future.

It was hours later when Kaji excused himself and went home, and Shinji and Asuka retired for the night. Misato sat in the living room, sipping her tea, as her heart swelled with pride concerning the events of this evening. Shinji and Asuka looked so happy together, and Asuka's eyes just lit up as she and Misato sat and discussed plans for the wedding. Misato caused Asuka to blush when she brought up the fact she needed to throw the young German a bridal shower. Knowing Misato, it would be as embarrassing as hell to Asuka. Shinji chuckled at Asuka's predicament, until Kaji mentioned that he would be planning Shinji's bachelor party. Shinji blushed ten shades of red at the thought of what Kaji would cook up.

Misato was getting up to go to bed herself, knowing tomorrow would be a busy day. They were going to see their new place, and then they had to start making preparations for the wedding. Misato passed Asuka's door when something made her stop.

There were moans of ecstasy coming from Asuka's room. Misato's face flushed._ "Surely, they're not…"_ she thought to herself, not wanting the images flashing in her mind to come. "_It's got to be something else! They're not even married yet! Shinji's not that way! He would wait! And...and Asuka's pregnant! Wouldn't that hurt the baby?_" she thought, as the moans became louder. Misato finally convinced herself that it wasn't her business, when she heard two words shouted out.

"Oh, Shinji!"

"All right, you two!" Misato yelled through the door, "Cut that out! I know you two are engaged, but really! You just can't…"

"What's wrong, Misato?" Shinji said as he opened the door, perplexed.

"What do you mean?" she barked "Just what the hell are you two doing?"

" What? All I'm doing is rubbing…" he started, before Misato scrunched up her face.

"ACK! No! NO! NO! I don't wanna know!!!" Misato screamed as she tried to keep the images from flooding her mind.

"…her feet?" Shinji said, puzzled at his roommate's reaction. Misato stopped making faces and strange sounds and looked at him with genuine confusion.

"Her feet?" she stammered.

"Yeah, she doesn't wear heels very often, and she had those on for so long her feet hurt. Just what did you think we were doing?" Shinji asked, before it dawned on him what she had been getting at. "Misato!" he scolded, as his blush covered his whole body.

"What's going on?" Asuka asked as she stood next to Shinji. Misato saw she still wore her hose,but now she wore a long, pink, oversized sleep shirt that ended about halfway down her thighs. It was the same shirt Shinji had bought her a month ago when this started.

"You're still dressed up a bit," Misato grinned as she saw how cute they looked together.

"What? The hose? I just haven't taken them off yet. I told Shinji my feet hurt, and he started rubbing them for me. I was tired and sore, and didn't want to wait any longer. Why were you yelling through the door?"

"She thought we were…" Shinji stammered, before Asuka caught on.

"Misato! How can you think such a thing?!" Asuka exploded, causing the older woman to cringe. "Shinji is too much of a gentleman to try anything like that! I besides, we're engaged! If we wanted to…."

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!" Misato apologized, "I should have trusted you not to do anything! Sheesh!"

"That's okay Misato," Asuka said, sounding very tired, "It was probably a natural assumption after tonight. But if you'll excuse me, I'm ready for bed," she added as she walked out of her door and grabbed Shinji by the shirt, pulling him to his room. The door closed, leaving a befuddled Misato to stand before an empty room. She knew they had been literally sleeping with each other since this started, but this was the first time she saw Asuka go into Shinji's room without trying to sleep in her room first. Shaking her head, Misato walked to her room to try to get some rest.

"God, I could use a beer!"

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End of Part One.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**_ I would like to thank everyone who read and enjoyed part one of 'Father', and I apologize that it took so long to finish up part two, but you know how life can be! You may notice that some of the characters seem to be OOC, but people do change over time. In this story, Shinji and Asuka are now 16, and to put it bluntly, have been through hell and back. This can effect and change anybody. This story is certainly not Gary-Stu, nor is it (in the words of one reviewer) a self insert or near self insert. There is and will be plenty of hardships for our lovebirds,of that you can be assured. For now, please set back and enjoy! Let me know what you think! Later! Lord Talon_

Father: Part Two.

The next day was Saturday, so they all had the day off. NERV personnel came to collect them to show them to their new apartment, which just happened to be in the same building, just a few floors higher up. Misato was the first one to spot the other person involved in this move as they stepped off the elevator.

"Rei! You're here already?" the Major called out as they walked over to greet the First Child. Misato was shocked to see Asuka and Rei exchanging a hug, before Rei noticed the ring on Asuka's finger. Rei's jaw hit the ground as she and Asuka held on to each other and jumped around like only school girls could. The NERV personnel looked at them quizzically, until an order by Misato got them moving again.

"Are we ready to go inside?" asked Shinji as he walked over and took the red headed German by the hand, and lead her inside. Misato and Rei followed right behind them. The apartment was huge compared to their current one. The living room was spacious, and the kitchen was easily three times the size of their old one.

"At least Shinji has a decent place to cook dinner now," Asuka said as she slapped him on the shoulder. Misato and Rei giggled in the background as Shinji just rolled his eyes.

"Why me?" he asked in mock misery, earning another slap. He pointed out the corner of the kitchen where Pen-Pen's refrigerator would go and still be out of everyone's way. The kitchen had more than enough room for the table and chairs to go and still have plenty of room to move.

"Misato, I guess that is your room, right over there, " Shinji pointed out, as Misato walked over to check it out. It was larger than her current one, and it had a small bathroom over to the side.

"Two bathrooms?" Misato asked, never having more than one in any place she ever lived before.

"Yep! Between you, Asuka, and the baby, we are going to need two!" he grinned as he responded. Rei smiled as Asuka and Misato both stuck their tongues out at him.

"Here's Asuka and the baby's room, right next to the main bathroom. I'll take the small one right next to theirs" Shinji said as three sets of eyes looked at him quizzically.

"Whaaaaat?" Asuka asked, both sadness and shock in her voice. _"My husband-to-be doesn't want to stay with me?"_ Hurt was clearly in her eyes. "Shinji?" she asked, tears forming "You don't want to be with me?"

"God, yes! I want to be with you so badly, it's just…" he stopped as he glanced at the other two standing there. Asuka took the hint.

"Excuse us a minute, you two," Asuka growled as she grabbed Shinji by the shirt and yanked him into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

"Shinji's in trouble, isn't he?" Rei asked as Misato just rolled her eyes at her charges' behavior.

"Yeah, Rei, he's in trouble, but I think I know why he did it…" Misato replied as she leaned over and put an ear to the door. Rei was shocked for a second, before doing the same.

"Alright, Ikari! Explain yourself!" Asuka snapped, fire blazing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, it…it's just I didn't want to assume anything, Asuka," he said a little sadly. "I promised to be here for you and the baby, and I promised my all to you, but I didn't want to impose on you."

"Shinji, we're getting married! We're supposed to be together. Don't you want to be with me?" she asked, afraid she'll hear the answer that would kill her.

"I want to be with you more than anything, Asuka," he answered her, looking deeply into her eyes, making her knees weak.

"If you don't want to be with me, why ask me to marry you?" she continued as she sniffed. He walked over and held her gently. " Did you ask because you love me, or because you thought the baby needed a father?"

Shinji stood there for a second, wanting to reassure her, but not knowing what to say. Anything other than total honesty would drive a wedge between them, and he didn't want that. "Both," he answered truthfully. "Did you say 'yes' because you love me or because the baby needs a father?"

"Both," she answered truthfully as well. She understood why he doubted, because she had doubted in the back of her mind as well. But to his credit, his actions just a few minutes prior proved to her he was thinking of her again.

"It's just …I was just …" Shinji said, scared he had screwed things up again. She reached over and took his hand.

"I know, baby, and that's why I love you," Asuka replied as she gathered him up in a big hug. "We already sleep with each other at night, as it is. I want my husband to stay with me. If we're going to share a life together, I think we can share a room together."

"As you wish, Asuka," he said with a smile as he gave her a kiss on the forehead, making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "I guess the smaller room will be for our little girl when she gets older."

"I still want to know why you think it's going to be a girl," she playfully growled, "the baby could just as easily be a boy who will be as kind and caring as his father."

"I don't know, still just a feeling," Shinji replied, as he reached over to open the door, "Let's go let the others know…YEEOUCH!!" he yelped as Misato and Rei fell into the room, knocking him to the floor.

"Uh, how's it going?" Misato smiled and waved to them. Rei quickly got up from the floor and smoothed out her dress.

"What's going on here?" Asuka demanded, her hands on her hips. "Eavesdropping, are we?"

"Uh, whatever gave you that idea?" Misato feigned innocence as she picked herself up and gave Shinji a hand.

"I bet if we checked, we'd find incriminating ear prints on the door," Asuka smirked, as she then explained about the room arraignments.

After inspecting Rei's apartment and astonished that her move was already complete, the three ladies decided it was time to do some serious shopping for the wedding. Shinji and Pen-Pen were left behind in the old apartment to supervise the packing and moving.

"Make sure they don't go through my underwear!" Asuka said as she hugged Shinji before leaving.

"I promise! That's my job!" he replied and rubbed his hands in anticipation just as Kaji did before. She gasped and playfully slapped his arm.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Asuka whispered softly.

"I'm sure, hon. You three need to spend some time together. I'm sure a guy would just drag you three down."

"Yeah? Well, who's going to carry all the packages?" Misato teased.

"What? And deny you the chance to build your muscles up?" Shinji shot back. Misato gave him a dirty look, then smiled.

"Oh well! Just for that, you have to come to work Monday after school. We gotta build you up, too!" Misato replied sweetly as she and the others headed for the door.

"You suck, Misato," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Do not," she said as she waved goodbye.

"That's not what Kaji says!" he said loudly before the door closed. Misato spun on her heels and tried to say something back when Rei and Asuka grabbed her by the arms.

"Come on, Misato! You two can have a teasing contest later!" Asuka smirked as they dragged her out the door. Shinji laughed evilly.

"But…but did you hear what he said? Let me go, I gotta…"

"Yes, we heard," Asuka replied as she winked at her fiancé. "Now come on! We can spend his money!" Now Misato laughed evilly as they left Shinji on his own.

The drive to the Mall went well, especially seeing how Misato was the driver. They ended up forcing only three cars off the road this time, which was good for Misato. Asuka, however, kept biting her tongue to keep from releasing a stream of mixed up Japanese and German curse words that was sure to cause instant death to all who heard them.

_"Damn! I should have convinced Shinji to come!"_ Asuka thought miserably as she and Rei staggered out of the car. Rei was pale, even for an albino. _"He could have at least drove us here without scaring us to death!"_

"Okay girls! Let's go shopping!" Misato cheered as she grabbed both teenagers by the arm and dragged them toward Asuka's favorite destination. The two girls were a bit sluggish, as they had yet to recover from the ride. Asuka recovered first and insisted that they visit the bridal shops first.

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"Well, what do you think?" Asuka asked as she came out of the changing room. This as the seventh dress she had tried, and she thought this one was perfect. The other six had one little thing or another that wasn't quite right in her eyes. The others had gushed all about previous ones, but she was sure this was the one.

"Oh, wow!" Misato gasped as she stared at the young redhead before her. Tears formed in her eyes at the vision. The top of the redhead's dress was high cut, but sheer down to just above the bust, giving an ample view of her cleavage. The sheerness continued on to the sleeves, until they came just above the wrists, which were lace and extended down to a point on the back of her hands, ending in a single finger loop. The remainder of the bodice was covered in lace. The sheer part of the dress had embroidered starbursts evenly spaced, giving it a shimmering quality. The skirt was full and covered in lace to match the rest of bodice, and had a huge train. The veil Asuka had picked to go with the dress was a perfect match, sheer with starbursts. The effect was, in a word, magical. "God, that is so perfect!"

"Asuka, you are so beautiful!" Rei exclaimed, which still threw Asuka for a loop. Over the past year, Rei had opened up so much it was hard to believe. With Asuka's pregnancy and engagement to her brother, Rei had actually for the most part turned into what could pass as a normal girl.

"Yep! I think that's the one!" Misato exclaimed as the Second Child admired herself in the mirror. Her face lit up at what she saw, then frowned for just a second. Something wasn't quite right.

"Oh! Yeah! I remember now!" she exclaimed as she reached into her handbag and pulled out a small white object. "Misato? Could you put this on me, please?" She handed Misato a small cameo on a white lace ribbon.

"Where did you get this, Asuka?" Misato asked as she studied the cameo. It was old and looked delicate, and it was exquisite. Misato's hands trembled a bit as she placed the ribbon around Asuka's throat.

"Aunt Heidi gave it to me when she visited a few months back," Asuka answered as she turned and looked once more at her reflection. Now she was happy. "It was originally Grandma's, then Aunt Heidi's. Since she didn't have any daughters, she gave it to me! _Now_ it's perfect!"

"Misato, are you okay?" Rei asked as she noticed the Major was pale and starting to tremble a little. Asuka had a worried look on her face as well.

"Huh? I'm fine! Just emotional, that's all!" Misato replied with a wave of her hand "Now, how's about the bridesmaids? What are they going to wear?"

"Uh, who _are_ the bridesmaids?" Rei asked. She had studied up on wedding customs in the past, not too long after she broke the Commander's hold on her, so she knew _what_ bridesmaids were. She just didn't have any idea on who Asuka would choose. The next answer shocked her more than when Kensuke peeked up her skirt one day at school.

"Well, you two, of course! Duh!" Asuka said, enjoying the shock on her friends' faces, "Hikari, too, when I tell her!" Immediately afterwards, Asuka was treated to squeals of delight from the other two as they encompassed her in yet another hug._ "I could get used to this,"_ she thought as they broke the hug up to discuss the other dresses needed. She was starting to regret all the years she spent distancing herself from others to keep from getting hurt. _"This was definitely more fun!" _.

"Damn! Did you have to buy the whole mall?" Shinji complained as he stumbled over packages and boxes scattered across their new bedroom. The move had been completed by late afternoon, and it wasn't until several hours later that the three ladies returned from the day's outing. Shinji was immediately drafted to lug everything from the car, seeing how Asuka and Rei weren't feeling good for some reason.

"This isn't everything," Asuka called out from the bathroom, " the dresses are going to be delivered in the next couple of days. I needed a new wardrobe for some strange reason," she added as she came into the room, patting her belly and smiling. Shinji couldn't help but smile, as well.

"Come here, beautiful," he said as pulled her close and kissed her, sending shivers down her spine. Asuka giggled.

"You say that now, but I'm gonna get fat and ugly soon!" she teased as she fell deeper into his embrace. "That's why I gotta snag you as soon as I can!"

"Never happen," Shinji said as fell to his knees and kissed her belly. Asuka gasped at this, but was even more surprised a second later, "What do you think, little one? We know Momma will never be fat and ugly, don't we?" He placed the side of his face to Asuka's belly and hugged his family. Asuka felt a warmth she had never experienced before. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Why do you do that?" Asuka asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I can't let her think she's ignored! Daddy's gotta talk to her, doesn't he, little one?"

"Not that, dummy," Asuka sighed, still enjoying the warmth of his embrace. "Why do you defend me, even from myself?"

"That should be obvious," he said as he stood and looked her in the eye, " because I love you."

"Is that going to be your standard answer now, instead of 'I'm sorry'?," she smirked as she saw the twinkle in his eye.

"Yep!" Shinji replied as Asuka reached over and smacked him in the side of the head with a handy pillow. He fell over laughing into the bed.

"Good!" she said as she crawled on top on him, "Now, pucker up, mister!"

Many, many minutes and several dozen kisses later, Asuka gazed across the room as she snuggled into Shinji's arms. She still couldn't believe things had taken the turn they had. She was engaged to the man who she tried for the longest to deny she had feelings for. They now openly shared a room and a bed, and talked about the future of their child.

Most of the boxes in their room were hers from her old room, but a few of his possessions could be seen here and there. Shinji's beloved SDAT player was on her dresser, sitting next to the A-10 clips she constantly wore to hold her hair back. His school uniforms hung on one side of the closet, next to his killer black suit. Her various dresses and school uniforms took up most of the rest of the space in the closet. Her violin case was on the top shelf in the closet, along with other bits and pieces she had collected over the years. Just about everywhere she looked, she could see the room was a blend of Shinji and herself, just as their lives were now beginning to blend and merge.

Still, something bugged her. _"Something's missing,"_ she thought to herself as she carefully got out of the bed, so as not to wake Shinji. Her head was beginning to spin a little as she made her way to the bathroom to splash a little water in her face. It always seemed to help the nausea pass. That was another reason Shinji was so handy to have around, he was a fount of useful information. _"Maybe he should go into medicine,"_ she mused as she walked back to the room when it hit finally hit her. She knew what was missing.

Asuka quietly looked around the room, but still didn't find what she was looking for. She snuck back out and entered the spare bedroom and searched, but she still could not find it. She then turned her attention to the rest of the apartment, wondering if it had been left out. Crawling back into bed, she gently shook Shinji awake.

"What's wrong, Asuka? Are you feeling okay?" he asked groggily as she propped herself upon her elbow and looked him in the eye.

"Shinji, where's your cello?" she asked worriedly, "Did it get left behind in the old apartment?" She secretly loved to hear him play, and the thought of him losing his cello was heartbreaking. The look on his face when he played was heavenly, and she had always wanted to play a duet with him one day.

"Huh? What?" he asked nervously, suddenly wide awake. Hoping she wouldn't notice, he tried to feign confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that, Shinji!" she growled, not fooled one bit by his act. "Where is your cello? I don't see it anywhere!"

"Uh…," Shinji stammered, trying to think of an answer that wouldn't set the fiery redhead off , "well…mm…you see…" Asuka glared daggers into him.

"Ikari, if you don't answer me right now, I'm gonna shave your head bald in your sleep, put you in one of my dresses, tie you to the flagpole at school and leave you there for the rest of the weekend!" she seethed at his trying to keep something from her. "Now, where is your cello?!"

"What does it matter, Asuka?" he sighed, laying back down and staring up at the ceiling. "I know my playing bothered you, so you shouldn't worry about it right now!"

"Shinji!" she yelled at him, shocked at what he said. He hadn't spoken to her like that in a long time. "Tell me!"

"I sold it!" he shouted, bolting upright on the bed, "Okay? Happy now?" he sighed as he fell back down to his pillow. Asuka just sat there, stunned.

"You sold it?" she asked sadly, a tear trying to force it's way out of the corner her eye. "You jerk! You fucking jerk!" she yelled as she pounded on his chest, her emotions once more out of her control.

"I'm sorry, Asuka," Shinji said sadly as he stroked her hair, her tears soaking his shirt, "I didn't mean to yell at you."

"That's not it, you idiot!" she yelled into his chest. "Why the hell did you sell your cello?" Shinji just laid there, bewildered.

"Well, I sold it the same time I sold the bike," he replied slowly, "I wasn't too sure how things were going to go, so I had to make sure I had at least a little money set back for us. What I had left from the ring I placed in my account to cover everything else. The bike and the cello were the only two valuable things I owned. I didn't think you would mind."

"You jerk," she said softly at what he had done set in, "you sold it for me?"

"Yes, I did," Shinji said as he tried to comfort her, "Like I said, I knew my playing it bothered you, so I didn't think you would mind."

"Who's going to play for me now?" Asuka sobbed, "Who's going to play for our baby?"

"What?" he asked, astonished at her revelation.

"I loved your playing," she replied sadly, "It used to take me away, away from the bad memories, the nightmares, the terrors. It was like you made a little world just for me to hide in, safe from everyone. I wanted to play with you, just to share in that little bit of magic. I wanted her to hear her Daddy playing…" She sobbed again.

"God, Asuka, I'm so sorry," Shinji said as her held her tight, "I didn't know…"

"Do you miss it?" she asked between sobs.

"It's just a object, Asuka, " Shinji replied, avoiding an answer.

"Answer me!" she seethed.

"Yes, I do," he sighed, "but you are more important."

"Jerk," she said without malice as she quietly slid to sleep.

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It wasn't too long after she has awakened from her coma that Asuka had learned how powerful music truly was. She had been sitting on her bed one evening, just staring off into space as she tried to fight the horrible images that assaulted her mind once more. It had been this way ever since the Fifteenth had attacked her mind.

It had taken every bit of her willpower as well as prodding from a certain male roommate that had finally pulled herself from the abyss. The memories and images never left. Sometimes they would be buried under whatever it was that she was concentrating on at the time, but they always returned. Ever vicious, ever cruel, ever taunting.

That was how it had been this night, as the sight of her mother swinging by her neck once more leapt to the foreground, dominating the nightmare landscape that was her mind. The horrible doll that had replace Asuka in her mother's mind stood there, laughing cruelly at her as it slapped at her mother's feet, causing the insane smile on her mother's lips to turn into horrible shrieking laughter.

_"Asuka,"_ the image of her mother called out to her in a sing-song voice,_ "Asuka, won't you come to your mother?"_

_"No!"_ Asuka screamed back in her mind, causing the doll to stop its playing and turn glaring at her, "_I won't! I can't!"_

_"Now, Asuka, is that any way to talk to your mother? Come, join me!"_ Asuka violently shook her head as the image swung playfully from the rope.

_"I don't want to! You can't make me!"_ she screamed back, slowly changing into the Asuka of that time, a small, scared little girl.

_"Please, Asuka? Come join me, join me in Heaven!"_ her mother called back, as she opened her eyes, revealing glowing, blood red orbs.

_"No, no, no! I don't want to die!"_ little Asuka cried, as she slowly backed away from the open door that lead to the gruesome image. The door kept getting further and further away from her as she turned and tried to run toward it. The awful doll took off in pursuit of Asuka, easily gaining ground as Asuka's little legs pumped as fast as they could. She felt as if she were running in water, her legs just would not move fast enough. The monstrous doll was almost upon her….

Then, she heard it. It was a long, low, sorrowful note, followed soon by others in melodious succession. Asuka turned her head in direction the notes came from, and saw yet another door opening on her right, letting bright light into the dark, blood soaked hallway. Instantly, she dove to her right, just as the doll pounced toward her. The sudden direction change work worked, as she ran screaming for the new doorway, leaving a befuddled doll behind, cursing in the dust. The door slammed shut behind her.

Asuka stood looking toward a small hill topped with a large oak tree. The grass was green, and the air smelled sweeter than she had ever known before. A light breeze stirred her hair as she looked all around her. The sunlight was bright, but not unduly so, giving everything before her a warm glow. For the first time in a awful long time, Asuka smiled as she breathed deep the sweet air.

The music she had heard was louder now, but still far off. It drew her hypnotically, toward the hill and it's lone giant, like the song of a Siren to a lost sailor. Feeling like she was floating, Asuka walked toward the mighty oak that called so sweetly to her, until she stood beside it. The music was coming from it, low and sweet, sending waves of pleasure through her tattered mind, bringing rest that she hadn't known in ages.

Asuka felt waves of energy pour into her, rejuvenating her injured psyche as she reached out and gently touched the bark of the oak. The music grew more lively, more joyous with every passing note, until she could no longer just stand there. She found a nice spot between two massive roots and sat between them, leaning back against the rough, yet strangely tender bark. She felt that the oak was singing just for her, just to her. It made her feel warm, and loved, and safe.

She looked out as song birds flew across the blue sky, adding their voices to the oak's, as they circled one another in a flight of love. One little songbird broke from the pack and landed on one of the roots next to her, lending it's voice to the oak's. It was a little brown bird with gentle blue eyes that seemed to stare straight down into her soul. It felt like it was trying it's best to comfort her and ease her pain. Asuka smiled as a tear of joy slid down her cheek, while the little bird hopped closer to her and settled down on the root. She closed her eyes and relaxed as the little bird snuggled next to her, lending it's warmth to her. She fell into a restful sleep as she traced her hand over some small indentations in the bark, ones that seemed to spell out a familiar name.

Asuka's eyes snapped open as she realized that she had fallen asleep in her bed and had fallen over. The warm, sweet music she had heard in her mind was here as well. It came from the living room area of the apartment she shared with her roommates. Intrigued, as well as a bit scared, she slowly got up from her bed and, just as in the dream, followed the song to it's source.

Slowly, as if afraid to disturb the song, Asuka slid her door open and peeked one blue eye, trying to see what was going on. There was nothing in her immediate line of sight, so she slowly left the room and looked around a bit until the source of the music because clear. Shinji was sitting on the balcony of their apartment, playing his cello, oblivious to anything going on around him. Asuka gasped in shock. This was the music that saved her from the doll. This was the sweet song that relaxed her and soothed her troubled mind. He was the mighty oak in her dream, standing firm and strong, just as he was the little bird that comforted her.

Shaking her head to get the disturbing thought out of her mind, she quietly padded to the balcony and slipped out the door to lean against the rail across from him. What she saw when she looked at him surprised her greatly. Shinji's eyes were closed, as tears streamed down his face. A warm, serene smile brightened up his face despite the tears. He seemed to glow as he continued to play his cherished cello, caressing the strings as gently as a he would a lover.

_"If only he would…no, don't think that way,"_ Asuka mused as she shook her head and leaned back to enjoy the music. Shinji continued to play for several more minutes before the tune gently came to it's end. Stopping, he opened his eyes and saw Asuka sitting on the balcony before him. Her face was more relaxed than he had ever seen it before. Her eyes slowly opened as she noticed the music had ended.

"Oh, hello Asuka," Shinji stammered as her bright blue eyes locked with his for just a second, before they both turned away, embarrassed. "I didn't hear you come out here. Is everything alright?"

"Uh? Oh, yeah, everything's fine," she replied as she continued to sit, "I was trying to rest, is all."

"I, I'm sorry," he answered back, slightly nervous, "I guess my playing disturbed you. I didn't mean to play so loud." Shinji sighed as the light that was in his face earlier was extinguished. It broke Asuka's heart to see that.

"No," she replied, "No, that's okay. It didn't disturb me. I just…." An awkward silence grew between them, before Shinji broke it.

"Asuka, can I ask you something?" he asked as her heart skipped a beat before recovering. Asuka sighed.

"What is it, Shinji?" she inquired unenthusiastically.

"Can, can you forgive me?" Shinji asked with tears in his eyes. He didn't want to cry in front of Asuka and make her think worse of him than she already does. "I wanted to help you against the fifteenth, even though I knew you hate help, but I…"

"Where were you?" Asuka responded both with rage and hurt in her eyes. Shinji was supposed to be there for her, he always had been before. She always said she never needed any help, especially from him, but secretly it made her feel good that he would be there for her, that he _wanted_ to help her.

"I'm so sorry," Shinji answered as the tears tried to break through, "I really, _really_ wanted to, but that bastard father of mine had my EVA frozen. He refused to let me out! I begged and I screamed, and all he did was sit there while you were…you were…" Asuka was shocked at the emotion he was showing, the total honesty in his eyes. He really _ had_ wanted to go out and help her. The venom with which he spoke of his father slammed into with such force that she felt as if she would be crushed under it's weight.

"Just what is going on between you and your father?" she asked, wondering what could be so terrible that he could hate his father so much. Shinji told her.

He told her the whole story, of his mother's death in the experiment with Unit One, and of his father's abandonment to pursue his quest against the Angels. Shinji told her of living for years without any parental love, the only guidance coming from his teacher, who truly didn't care if Shinji lived or died. All his hate and bitterness showed as he explained to Asuka the circumstances of his mother's death and who was to blame, as well as why he was brought back to Tokyo-3. His hurt tore her as he explained why his father had called him back and how he had treated him since. Her heart ached for him as she realized just how much the two of them were alike.

"Shinji, I had no idea," she said sadly as she tried to keep a tear from sliding down her face. It was no wonder he rarely showed any spine, and why he felt so worthless.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to dump all that on you," he said as he scrunched his eyes shut hard to keep the tears from flowing. "You probably think even worse of me now, huh? I just proved what a weak little child I really am."

"No, Shinji, I don't," Asuka responded as she continued to sit and told him of her story. She told him of her mother, going insane in a contact experiment with Unit Two, and then committing suicide the same day Asuka was selected as a pilot. She told him of a doll replacing her as a child to her mother, and of an uncaring father and stepmother who shuffled Asuka off to live with her grandmother and aunt. She told him of her father's affair with her mother's doctor, and wondering if that was why her mother finally killed herself. She told him of feeling betrayed when her father married that same doctor not long after her mother's death. She told him of how she resolved to never cry again, and having to grow up at such a young age.

"Asuka, I am so sorry," he said not with pity, but with sadness. If he could take her pain from her, he would. What really surprised Shinji was how much Asuka had just said to him. They had talked before, but it was about little things, or stuff concerning EVA and the Angels. They had very rarely shred any personal information with each other. Both had feared getting hurt doing so. "So, do you talk to you grandmother and aunt very often?"

"My grandmother died before I came to Japan, and I still get an occasional letter from Aunt Heidi. I do miss her so much, sometimes. I could talk about just anything with that woman. If I was ever close to anyone since my mother, it would be her." she replied, her eyes taking a distant look.

"You miss her, don't you? Your aunt?" Shinji asked, seeing the longing in her eyes as she thought of that time.

"Yeah, sometimes," she answered before her defenses came back up. "But I don't need her! I don't need anyone! Remember that, Third Child!" The fire came back to her eyes as she suddenly stood, fists clinched.

"I'm sorry, Asuka," he apologized, his normal defense to any sort of confrontation. It just served to irritate her even more.

"What the hell are you sorry for, you idiot?! Is that all you can say to anyone?!" she yelled as Shinji cringed, shaking violently, "You didn't do anything! Why the hell can't you grow up and act like a man for a change? Why can't you just hold…" she stopped herself before she could finish that sentence. _"Why would I want to be held by such an idiot? Just because his music calmed me, because he's kinda cute, because…NO!!"_ Slowly, she calmed down as she leaned back against the railing.

Shinji closed his eyes and picked up his bow once more, but his fingers refused to obey his instructions. He wasn't able to play anymore, today. He was about to retreat back into his music, but his body betrayed him. Asuka looked at him expectantly, but sorrow seemed to fill her eyes when the music wasn't forthcoming.

Slowly, she stepped forward and stood beside him, facing the doorway to the apartment, her eyes vacant and far away. Asuka gently reached up and placed her hand on his trembling shoulder, causing him to flinch somewhat, but he didn't pull away. She seemed to deflate.

"Shinji," she said, as the words tried to stick in her throat, "I'm sorry for snapping at you." She heard him gasp at her words, but his trembling subsided. Asuka had feared she had chased the music from the young man, and it was that music that had comforted her, if even for a short time.

"S'okay," he replied softly, somewhat flabbergasted at her mood change and sudden tenderness. "Can you forgive me?" he asked, desperately. A crack appeared in her inner armour, one that she was going to have to try to repair.

"I, I don't know yet," she sighed as she took a step toward the door, removing her hand from his shoulder. His heart went heavy at the lose of the touch. With that, Asuka went back into the apartment and tried to watch a little television, before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep on the sofa. She didn't notice Shinji coming back inside with his cherished instrument, nor did she notice when he came back into the living room with a warm blanket. He gently placed it over her sleeping form, tucking her in, and watched over her for a time before he too, went to the land of slumber.

It was several days before Asuka heard the sweet music again. The horrible memories had stayed hidden until then, slowly trying to pry through the door that the song had erected. It wasn't until that day they had succeeded, and just as they started to pour through, the sweet music started yet again and slammed the door on them. Asuka retreated back to her oak and little bird and sat in peace and comfort once more.

As before, after a while, she slowly opened her eyes and followed the hypnotic notes to their source. She sat and listened to Shinji play, but this time sat in a corner where he couldn't see her easily. She hoped he would continue to play if he didn't see her immediately. Her hopes were answered as he finished one number and started yet another, then another.

Shinji played for at least two hours before coming to an end, a serene smile once more on his face. Asuka's contented sigh interrupted his train of thought when he finished, as he glanced over and saw her sitting so sweetly, totally relaxed. The look on her face was pure bliss, and it tugged at his heartstrings greatly.

Afterward, they talked some more, just like that first day, as they got to know each other just a little better. Asuka spoke of the good times she spent with her grandmother and aunt, how she loved to spend time with them in the little village they had lived in. Asuka spent most of the week in school and at NERV's German headquarters, but always spent the weekends with the family. They would go for walks in the Black Forest, or swimming in the local pond. Sometimes they would have dinner in the local _Gausthaus_, and anxiously await the visit of _der brotmann _every Saturday afternoon. He would always have a warm sweet roll ready for her whenever she bounded down the steps to greet him.

Shinji filled that little bit of information away for future reference as he told her a little of the time he spent with his teacher. It was mainly depressing, so he tried not to dwell on it. Living with someone that didn't care for you was extremely hard for a young child. It kept you from forming any sort of bond with anyone else. There was no love, no encouragement, no understanding. All there was, was scorn and punishment if he did anything wrong. He never had birthday parties, nor any presents. All he would get would be some money in an envelope from his father, which his teacher would promptly place in his account before the young boy could think of anything to spend it on. Christmases would come and go with no celebrations, no gifts. It was a very lonely life for a small boy.

Asuka felt her heart starting to go out to this lonely young man, who seemed so much like herself. As always, though, the barriers would come back up, but with a few more cracks in them. She had to remember to fix those later, she kept telling herself. As she got ready to leave, her eyes met his once more, locking onto each other. A pleading look in his eyes told of an unanswered question, one she could not answer yet.

"I still don't know yet, I'm sorry." she said as she caressed his shoulder unconsciously, as she stepped once more into the apartment. Shinji's shoulder slumped in defeat, once more.

This continued on for weeks, as every time the haunting memories assaulted her, his music would magically arrive and save her, helping her retreat to the bright world it helped to create. It must have been their sync training at work, again. He knew when she needed the music, so he would provide it. Afterward, they would always talk, until they actually grew to enjoy each other's company, even though Asuka was loath to admit it. Shinji's eyes always held that question, but Asuka still wasn't able to answer him.

Eventually, his disappointment faded somewhat as they would talk and spend time with each other. He learned how much she really cared for her aunt in Germany, despite her protests otherwise, and he could see how much it hurt Asuka to be so far away from her. Shinji felt that Asuka needed her now more than ever, and ever so slowly, a plan was beginning to emerge. He had to do this for Asuka, if anything, just to get that fire and energy to come back to her spirit.

_"I need to talk to Misato,"_ he thought to himself as he struggled with how to go about doing what needed to be done. If everything worked out, Asuka would have a very nice surprise waiting for her very soon. His heart lifted as he went about his task.

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The next morning Shinji got up early, trying not to stumble over the boxes that were scattered about the floor, and went to the kitchen to get Asuka's usual Sunday breakfast ready. He hoped that she wasn't still angry at him from last night. He really hadn't known how much his playing had meant to her, and her reaction to the sale of the cello had really shocked him. His chest was still a bit sore from the beating he had gotten at the hands of his redheaded fiancée, but it wasn't anything he couldn't manage.

After an hour or so, he heard a familiar stirring coming from the bedroom, followed quickly by muffled cursing in German as his lady had obviously forgotten about the mess in the floor. He chuckled a bit as she slid the door open and groggily stumbled to the kitchen.

"Morning, sleepy," he said cheerfully as she plopped herself down at the table, her eyes still puffy from sleep. He set a cup of tea in front of her before he turned back to the stove. He saw Asuka sniff the air and turn toward the stove, obviously eager to see what was waiting for her inside.

"Morning," she said groggily. Asuka was beginning to awaken quickly as her stomach told her breakfast was nearly finished. A rather loud growl told Shinji that his ladies were ready for breakfast. "Damn, your daughter's noisy today!"

"Sure, blame her," Shinji replied as he opened the oven and pulled long pan from within and set it on the stove top. Asuka's mouth was watering. She looked forward to Sunday every week. She still couldn't believe he went through the trouble every single week, just for her. _Der Brotmann _would be so proud of her Shinji! "Here you go!"

"Dear god, thank you so much!" she beamed as she tore into the sweet rolls he had set before her. He could never understand how much this meant to her.

"Must be Sunday," Misato said as she stumbled into the kitchen, following her nose to the delicious aroma. She sat as Shinji handed her a cup of tea and some rolls, as well. "Thanks."

"Well, it seems someone has gotten her appetite back," Shinji said as he took place at the table, watching Asuka grab several more rolls and proceed to wolf them down. Asuka was now a little over three months pregnant, and this was the first time in a month he had seen her eat properly at breakfast. Asuka shot him a dirty look.

"Jerk," she said between bites. Shinji's face fell a little, something Misato didn't fail to notice.

"I'm just teasing, hon," he said apologetically. She just continued to glare at him. "Are you still mad from last night?"

"Well, what the hell do you think?" she said as she spat crumbs all over the table.

"What happened last night?" Misato asked, somewhat worried for her children.

"Dumbass here sold his cello!" Asuka growled as she scarfed down another roll.

"Huh? When?" Misato replied, somewhat shocked at both their actions.

"I told you why I did it," he said defensively, a little hurt she was so upset by it. "I sold it a couple of days ago when I sold my bike, Misato. I wasn't sure how things were going to go, so I sold it too, just to be safe. I didn't mean to hurt you, Asuka! I really didn't know how much it meant to you!"

"It wasn't the cello itself, it was your playing that I'm going to miss! I had wanted to play with you, and I wanted our daughter to hear you play for her!" Asuka replied sadly as Shinji went over and gave her a big hug.

"I am truly sorry, hon," he whispered to her, "How can I make it up to you?" Asuka's face lit up somewhat as she thought of the perfect thing to do.

"Hmm, you really want to make it up to me? Well, go get dressed! You're taking me shopping!" she said as a malevolent smile creeped across her face. Shinji gulped.

"Uh, after yesterday, I'm not sure there's anything left in my account!" he stammered as she stood and started to drag him into their room.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Misato called out , still sitting and enjoying her rolls, "NERV made sure the pay increases and hazard pay were retroactive since you started, so you have plenty in the account!" Shinji stopped in his tracks.

"How the hell did that happen? I never asked for any of that!" he asked, somewhat shocked.

"Believe it or not, it was your father's idea," Misato replied as Asuka succeeded in dragging him the rest of the way into the room.

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"When I agreed to take you shopping, I didn't mean for me!" Shinji protested as they walked back into the apartment after spending the whole morning and most of the afternoon at the Mall. He looked like a walking pile of packages and sacks as he stumbled forward into their home.

"Well, I'm not going to allow my husband go walking around dressed like a school boy all the time! I swear, that's all you have in the closet! School uniforms out the ass! Sheesh!" Asuka replied as walked into the living to set down the packages. "I didn't hear you gripe when we went into the music store to get some tapes for your SDAT!"

"Now that was a little different...," Shinji said as he almost walked right into Asuka, who had stopped in her tracks.

"_Guten Tag, mein liebling_" called out a familiar voice from the sofa.

"Aunt Heidi!" Asuka screamed as she dropped everything and ran to the older woman who stood up next to Misato in the living room. The two embraced long and hard as tears streamed from both sets of eyes. "_Mein Gott!_ What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Heidi!" Shinji called out as he quickly divested himself of all the packages and retreated to the kitchen.

"Your Shinji called me a week ago and told me that you really needed to see me, so here I am!" she smiled as she held Asuka out at arms length and looked her up and down. "My goodness, you really are filling out!" Aunt Heidi said as she reached down and patted Asuka's little belly.

"Uh, well, there's a reason for that," Asuka said sadly as she and her aunt sat down on the sofa."Auntie, there's somethng I need to tell you..."

"I know dear," Heidi said as she patted Asuka's hand, "Misato told me all about it. I am so sorry, child!" Heidi's face was full of sorrow. "So, do you know who the father is? I heard you say something to Shinji about your husband?"

"No, not yet," Asuka replied as Shinji walked into the room carrying glasses of iced tea for everyone, "but I have someone who wants to be the father. He asked me to marry him, and I agreed!"

"Oh, really?" Heidi smirked as Shinji did his best to try not to meet Heidi's eye, "Does he love you? Do I know this young man?"

"Uh, yes on both counts," Shinji said as he stood tall beside Misato, sipping his tea,"Me." Heidi stood up and gave Shinji a big hug.

"_Sehr gute, Herr_ Ikari," she whispered in his ear, "You make me very happy and proud!" She pulled back and looked him square in the eye. "You know, when I told you last year to follow your heart, I didn't think you would follow it as far as you have! Just don't hurt Asuka and the baby is all I ask. Understand?"

"_Ich verstehen_," he replied honestly, as he noticed just how much Asuka and Heidi resembled each other. Heidi was a beautiful woman who could easily give Misato a run for her money despite being older than his guardian. Her eyes were the same shade of blue as Asuka's and her hair was just a bit lighter than Asuka's, mainly due to the small amounts of gray mixed in. Shinji knew that this was how the love of his life was going to look as they spent their lives togather growing older. He couldn't ask for anything more.

"Ah, you've been practicing your German," Heidi beamed as she patted his cheek and sat back down beside Asuka."Keep working with Asuka, and you'll speaking like a native in no time!"

"Only if that native curses every other word...Ow!" Shinji exclaimed as his lady punched him in the leg as he stood next to her once more, glaring at him, "I was just teasing, my love!"

"I'll deal with you later," she threatened teasingly as Shinji departed to put up the packages and start preparations for dinner. The three ladies stayed in the living room and caught up with each other. Every once in a while, Asuka would look back over her shoulder and watch her fiance' as he busied himself about the kitchen. Everytime she turned back around, the other two women smiled at the silly grin on her face.

"So, have you set a date yet?" Aunt Heidi asked as everyone sat at the table as Shinji served dinner.

"It's in two weeks," Asuka replied as she heaped a good amount of saurkraut onto her plate."Any later than that and the dress may not fit anymore."

"Asuka, that's not a good reason to rush a wedding!" Heidi said, somewhat astonished at her niece's attitude.

"I'd marry him today if I could," Asuka stated blushing just a bit, "I want to get a hold of him before he gets cold feet and backs out!" She smiled at Shinji as she said it. He giggled into his tea glass.

"We want to get this over with before word of Asuka's pregnancy gets back to the kids in school," he said as Heidi appraised the young man, "It's probably going to take that long to get the licence, with the two of us being minors and all."

"Have you told your Papa yet, Asuka?" Heidi asked, then noticed Asuka's face falling just a bit.

"Not yet," she mumbled softly. Heidi's eyes went wide.

"Asuka! I know you don't get along with your father, but he has to know what is going on! He is your father, after all. Doesn't he have to agree to this marriage for it to proceed?"

"Well, not nessesarily," Misato piped in as everyone at the table turned to look at her. Even Pen-Pen stopped gobbling down fish to stare at her. "Herr Soryu gave up his parental rights when he turned Asuka over to NERV. She's been emancipated for the last several years, but she still needed a guaridan to look over her interests. But it would be a good idea to let him know what's going on, Asuka."

"What about you, Shinji? Does your father know?" Heidi asked him. Shinji's eyes went cold at the thought of his father.

"He knows how I feel about Asuka, and he knows I bought the ring. If Section 2 did it's job, he probably knew the second Asuka agreed to marry me. Still, I haven't spoken to him about it yet, and I probably should. He is our military commander, after all." His voice was colder than Asuka or anyone else was used to. It made her shiver.

"Tell you what, Shinji, you can speak with him after we get done tomorrow," Misato added as she stared into her tea glass, her hands trembling slightly.

"It would be as good a time as any," he agreed as he looked over to Asuka, who was deep in thought. "Asuka? Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she lied with a fake smile on her face. The idea of telling her father and stepmother what had happened scared her more than she was about to let anyone know. It didn't fool Shinji one little bit, but he let it slide for now.

"So, Shinji," Heidi said with a smile on her face that reminded him of Asuka's most predatory smile, "Have you and Asuka made love yet?" Jaws dropped and tea was spit all over the table as Shinji and Asuka both turned ten shades of red. Misato did her best to keep from laughing, as she had learned from the last time Heidi had visited that she was just a big a tease as Misato.

"Aunt Heidi!" Asuka screamed as she slammed her hands on tha table, " No matter how much I called him one, Shinji is NOT a pervert!"

"It's not perverted if the two people love each other and are engaged," Heidi said innocently as she watched Shinji stumble over an answer to her question.

"Uh, no we haven't Aunt Heidi," he replied as Heidi smiled brightly at what he had called her, "we've only been engaged for a couple of days, and there is the baby to think about..."

"I know, Shinji, I was just teasing," Heidi said soothingly, before the smile came back, "It's just Misato has told me you two have been sleeping togather for over a month now, and intercourse during pregnancy is safe if..."

"Aunt Heidi!!" both teenagers screamed as Misato fell over backward out of her chair from laughing so much. "We've only kissed! That's all!" Heidi stared in amazement that two people could say the same thing at the same instant without trying. Finally gaining control overself, Misato got back in her chair with a smile like Heidi's. Asuka and Shinji both knew they let her know too much, and she now had some ammunition which to use against them at the next round of teasing.

"Isn't it so cute how they they speak as one already, Heidi?" Misato asked,ever so innocently.

"Yes, it is," Heid replied, "It's like they've been married for years!" Both women started giggling like fools as the two teenagers fumed.

After dinner, the ladies pitched in to clean the kitchen since Shinji made such an excellent dinner, leaving him to make a phone call. About thrity minutes later Kaji walked in the door.

"Kaji!" Mistao screamed as she threw herself in her beloved's arms and planted a big wet kiss on him, which he was more than happy to return. Asuka gave him a big hug and then introduced her Aunt Heidi. Everyone retired to the living room and sat, drinking tea, and talking about everything and anything.

Finally, Shinji excused himself to the balcony as the three ladies continued to talk amongst themselves like only ladies can. Kaji took the hint and followed Shinji onto the balcony a minute or two later.

"Nice place," Kaji said as he stood next to Shinji, as both leaned on the rail and looked over the nighttime skyline of Tokyo-3.

"Yeah, it's great," Shinji said, sounding both nervous and happy at the same time. Kaji noticed this.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Kaji said worriedly. He hoped that things would work out better for the two kids than it did with he and Misato.

"Huh? No! Not at all," he said, still a little nervous, "I'm just a little worried about talking to my father tomorrow."

"Really? After facing him down the other day, I thought that you would never have that problem again." Kaji replied.

"This is different, I guess. Last time, it was concerning Asuka and the baby's well being. This time is a little different. I'm going to tell him about the marriage, and ask for his blessing."

"Ah, I see," Kaji said, "you realize he probably already knows, and if he objected, you would have found out by now."

"True," Shinji said, as he hung his head," it's just, I would like his approval. It's stupid, I guess. I've never had his approval or blessing for anything before in my life, but this is different! I can't really explain it."

"It's not stupid, Shinji," the older man replied as he laid a hand on Shinji's shoulder, "He's your father, and all children want approval from their fathers, whether they admit it or not. I personally think he gave up any and all claims of being your father years ago, but still, he is." Shinji just nodded his head.

"Kaji, I have a question to ask of you. Well, a favor really." Shinji said seriously.

"Sure, what is it?" Kaji replied, not having any idea what the young man had up his sleeve.

"Kaji, would you stand up with me?" Shinji asked. Kaji just stood there, not know what the young man meant.

"What do you mean?" Kaji replied, it still not clicking in his head. Shinji chuckled.

"Misato's right, your mind just goes blank when it comes to weddings! I'm asking if you'll be my best man." Shinji said with a smile at the look of shock that covered Kaji's face.

"Huh? Whoa," the older man said as he backed up and sat on one of the chairs. "I'm flattered, Shinji, but shouldn't you ask one of your friends?"

"I just did," Shinji said as he smiled at the older man's discomfort."Look, Kaji, you're the closest thing I have to an older brother, or a...a father. I count you as one of my friends. You have helped me and my family out in so many ways it's not even funny. I concider you part of my family. So, what do you say, brother?" Kaji looked back into the apartment at his lady, sitting there and looking so happy, talking to Asuka and her Aunt. Shinji's family. His family.

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Ikari," Kaji said has he shook Shinji's hand. Shinji's smile grew a mile wide. "Now, you realize, I really _have_ to arrange your bachelor party now!" Kaji laughed as Shinji's smile was followed by a blush that would kill a horse. Kaji looked at back at Misato once more, and saw her smiling sweetly at him, like she knew what was going on. "Did you say anything to Misato about this?"

"No, but she's as sharp as a well honed katana, I have a feeling she knows what is going on out here," Shinji said as he waved to his roommate, who quickly turned back to the conversation indoors. Kaji looked at her a little sadly, before the mask came back out and Kaji appeared normal again. Shinji didn't miss it. "Kaji, may I ask a personal question?"

"Ask away, my friend, but I'm not promising I'm going to answer," Kaji replied, chuckling somewhat, "nature of the buisness, you know!" Shinji joined in the chuckle before becoming serious once more.

"What really happened between you and Misato when you were kids? I've heard parts of the story from Misato back when she used to get drunk, but something was always missing." Shinji asked with genuine concern in his voice. He desperately wanted to help his friends, but he couldn't understand the deep hurt that seemed to keep them apart, even though they themselves were engaged. Neither Kaji nor Misato had ever pressed to set a date.

"Ah. Well..." Kaji started, then sat there lost in thought. Shinji started to get a little nervous.

"Look, Kaji, I'm sorry if I seem to be prying. I guess it's really none of my buisness. Forget about it." Shinji said quickly as he tried to avoid the older man's eyes.

"No, no that's alright. I just have never spoken to anyone else about it before, not even Ritsuko. Believe it or not, she used to be a dear friend to Misato and I back at the University, but there are some hurts that just go too deep." Kaji replied.

"I'm sorry, Kaji. Let's just forget about it." Shinji apologized. Kaji held his hand up.

"Like I said, that's alright. You concider me your friend and a member of your family, and family shouldn't have any secrets from each other. You know that Misato and I broke up after being with each other for a very long time."

"She's said something about it before, something about you reminding her too much of her father. She told me she ran away as fast as she could," Shinji replied. Kaji nodded his head.

"That was just a part of it, Shinji," the older man continued as he glanced back at Misato,"Back when we were...togather...we weren't exactly careful. We once spent an entire week in bed togather. Well, something happened."

"Oh crap," Shinji replied, eyes wide as understanding dawned on him.

"My thoughts exactly," Kaji sighed as he thought back on those days. "Misato got pregnant. We were both stunned, we weren't ready for that kind of responsibilty!" Shinji just nodded his head.

"Scary as hell, wasn't it?" Shinji added. Kaji smiled at his friend's understatement.

"To say the least. Things got a little...tense...between the two of us." Kaji said as he stood up and paced to the railing once more. "We fought like cats and dogs, but the biggest battle was with myself. I wanted to do the right thing, the noble thing. Like you, young Mr. Ikari." Kaji sighed sadly.

"I haven't done anything noble, Kaji. I just followed my heart, that's all." Shinji replied. Kaji laughed and shook his head.

"Once more you underestimate yourself, Shinji. Maybe being married to Asuka will cure you of some of that!" He and Shinji both chuckled at that. "Anyway, Misato was having difficulties early on in her pregnancy. It scared me badly. I feared I was going to lose both of them. Finally...finally I made up my mind, I was going to ask for Misato's hand. But..."

"I'm sorry, Kaji," Shinji said, guessing at what had happened.

"That's okay, Shinji, it was long ago. Well, we lost the baby. Misato blamed herself. She was afraid that whatever happened to her in Antarctica was to blame. Me? I blamed myself. I alway wondered if maybe I had been a man instead of a scared little boy then maybe my little boy would have survived." Kaji swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "It...broke...Misato. It wasn't too long afterward that she ran from me. Shinji, promise me that, no matter what may happen to either Asuka or the baby, you will be there for her. If anything happens, don't abandon her."

"I'll always be there, Kaji," Shinji promised wholeheartedly. The idea of anything happening to their baby tore at his heart, but he knew it would be worse for Asuka. He loved her more than anyone or anything. He would never leave.

"You know, it sound sappy," Kaji said with a smile as he ruffled the younger man's hair, "if my boy had survived, I would hope he would turn out to be a fine young man like yourself!" Kaji knew that Shinji was blushing from the heat he felt rising from his face. "So! Whom else do you plan on having as your groomsmen?" The two of them continued to talk for a while before they retired back to the living room and Kaji said his goodbyes, giving his lady love a long slow goodbye kiss.

"Soon," he said as Misato gasped in shock as Kaji made his way to the door and walked out into the dark night.There was a bounce in his step that hadn't been there for a very, very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**_I want to thank everyone for their reviews on this story, and I hope everyone is enjoying it. I'm sorry it took a while to get this done, but I'm trying not to rush this. For those of you who are reading my other story, I hope to post Chapter 3 of 'Song of the Berserker' by the end if this up coming weekend. Please, enjoy and review! - Lord Talon_

Father

Part 3

Kaji finally made it up to his own apartment after visiting Misato and the others. He was bone tired, and not just from the long day of work he had put in. Shinji had really thrown him for a loop, asking him to be his best man. Seeing the young man grow up and take on such responsibility had put thing in perspective for Kaji. He had meant what he had said to Misato, soon the two of them would set a date and settle down. It was time for the two of them to grow up.

Kaji made it to his bedroom and took off his shirt and threw it to the floor. He absentmindedly rubbed the large, misshapen scar on his chest. It had been well over a year since he had been shot on orders from SEELE, but the wound still hurt from time to time. The constant rain in Tokyo-3 didn't help much. Kaji felt somewhat disappointed that the old men had sent such an amateur to try to dispose of him, after all, all the pros knew to take head shots because you never knew if someone wore a bulletproof vest or not.

To the assassin's credit, though, he did use armour piercing ammunition. The bullet ripped through the vest and tore into Kaji's shoulder, leaving a rather messy and jagged hole. Despite the pain and lose of blood, Kaji was able to pull his own pistol and scatter the assassin's brains all over the walls. With a call to a trusted member of Section 2, Kaji was extracted and tended to by Gendo Ikari's personal doctor. Soon, Kaji was up and about, setting plans into motion. Kaji could remember the Day of Truth like it happened just yesterday….

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_Late December,2015_

"The old men sent an Angel to us," Commander Fuyutsuki fumed as he paced back and forth behind Commander Ikari's desk. As for the Commander himself, he sat behind his desk, looking as immutable as ever, his hands covering the lower part of his face.

"Yes, it seems that the old fools want to move the timetable forward. This is something we cannot allow if the scenario is to go according to our will," Ikari replied as he touch a small button in his desk.

"Will the destruction of Unit 00 cause any harm to the schedule?" Fuyutsuki asked as he read the little data pad he pulled from his pocket. A look of concern crossed his face, adding to the wrinkles that already lined his face.

"A minor nuisance, that is all," the Commander said, "As long as Unit-01 remains intact and in our control. The other Units are secondary concerns, only useful to fight the Angels."

"There aren't supposed to be anymore Angels after the Seventeenth, are there?" Fuyutsuki asked as he consulted his pad once more. It disturbed him that he didn't have any more reliable data.

"Our knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls is incomplete, even the fools at SEELE admit this. Unfortunately, they believe that their interpretations and extrapolations are correct, and will do anything to advance their conclusion. They are just power hungry, feeble old men who wish to grasp at glory. They fail to see the bigger picture. There may be other Angels, we just don't know yet," Ikari stated as he shook his head slightly. "What disturbs me is Rei's attitude. From what Dr. Akagi has said, she seems to have stopped taking her medications, and is developing a sense of self. This goes against just about everything in our scenario. We cannot allow Rei to break from our grip!"

'Would it have been better if she had died, Commander?" Fuyutsuki asked. "If your son hadn't saved her from the Sixteenth, we could have activated a spare and not have to worry about her gaining her own free will."

"I'm surprised to hear you say something like that, sensei. You are beginning to sound too much like me," Ikari replied as he felt the older man shiver.

"Perish the thought," Fuyutsuki muttered as he stopped his pacing and reflected on what he had said.

"To answer your question, it would take too much time to get a spare ready for what is needed. This one has already synced with an EVA, despite that EVA's destruction. She has embraced her human half somewhat, being in such close proximity to her brother, and myself. That should make her easier to control when the time comes. Family bonds are the hardest to break."

"You seem to have had no such problem with breaking family bonds," Fuyutsuki observed, " you have next to no relationship with your own son. How are you able to have a relationship with a clone of your wife and Lilith?"

"Yui wanted a son, not I. I had hoped for a daughter, and got one in Rei. If Dr. Akagi's mother hadn't killed herself after murdering the first Rei, I would have done so gladly. The Third and I have never had a relationship, period. Nor am I inclined to start one." Gendo said flatly.

"My, my! And you said Commander Fuyutsuki was cold! I do believe the air temperature dropped fifty degrees just now," a voice called out in the darkness. Ikari and Fuyutsuki both looked up. Out of the darkness walked a form that Commander Fuyutsuki thought he would never see again. The shock was plain on his face.

"Welcome, Agent Kaji," Ikari called back, "your snide remarks serve no purpose here. I have called you for a reason."

"I, I thought you were dead," Fuyutsuki stammered as he watched the young man standing before him. He was sure SEELE was going to kill Kaji for saving him from the Committee's clutches.

"Well, it wasn't for lack of trying," Kaji answered, his chest and shoulder still very sore, even though his arm was immobilized in a sling. He refused pain medication, knowing that he would need his wits about him the next few months to survive. "So, what can I do for you, Commander?"

"You have heard our conversation, I take it" Ikari stated as fact, not as a question.

"Indeed I have," Kaji replied, delighted to have gathered more knowledge, after all, that is an agent's job. "I take it SEELE wants to throw a wrench in your plans to advance their own, and you need me to slow them down."

"I need you to stop them, period." Gendo replied, trying to repress a smile. "It is time to start Operation: Gotterdammerung. Make the necessary arraignments. I want you to deal with Chairman Kihl personally."

"What?" Fuyutsuki gasped, as the implications of what Ikari had just said sunk in. "You wish to destroy the heads of SEELE? Who will run it then? How do you know that SEELE won't retaliate?"

"I will control it, Kozo," the Commander replied, "I have spent the last ten years positioning my pieces on the board, now is the time to attack and checkmate the opposition. I have my own agents in place to move up into the 'vacated' positions. Rest assured, they are all loyal to me and will do as I say."

"The Fall of the Gods, hmm? Well, after my treatment at their hands, it will be a pleasure, Commander," Kaji said as he bowed. "After this is over, all I ask is that I can reveal myself and come out of hiding."

"That shouldn't present a problem, Agent. Just make sure the job is done properly, and you may go back to your precious Major," Ikari said as a way to dismiss the Agent. Kaji returned to the shadows without a sound, leaving Gendo and Kozo alone.

"Will you keep your promise, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked, worried about the young man that just left.

"I find no reason not to," the Commander replied, "with SEELE under my control, we will have plenty of time to refine and implement our scenario, rather that trying to rush and beat the Committee to the punch. All will go as I have planned," Ikari said with a cold smile on his face. Fuyutsuki had his doubts, but rather than voice them, he merely stood behind his commander and held his tongue.

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_The Present_

Kaji smiled as he crawled under the covers and snuggled down into his bed. Ikari's plan went so much better than anyone had hoped. Kaji savored the memory of Chairman Kihl's face as a 'dead' agent stood before him and put a steel tipped bullet in that cybernetic skull of his. The rest of the leaders of SEELE went down just as quickly, as Kaji had contacted all the members of his handpicked black-op squad. Each and every one of them were loyal to Kaji and the cause, and seeing how helping Ikari at this juncture fell right into their plans, there were no difficulties.

Within an hour of the simultaneous assassinations, Gendo Ikari had the whole of SEELE under his thumb. As predicted, every one of the replacements were his own loyal slaves, and as his first act in ensuring his power, all known and suspected agents of the dead men were quickly eliminated, including many of the Section 2 agents that worked for NERV. After two days, Gendo Ikari was completely secure in his own powerbase. There would be no more hassles over money, no more interference in his plans, no more questions over his motives, and no more having to worry about being assassinated in his own headquarters. He felt secure for the first time in a very long time.

As long as the Commander was happy, he wouldn't be looking as hard for any signs of subversion, which made Kaji happy and his job much easier. Ikari kept his word and allowed Kaji to come out of hiding, leading to a very joyful and tearful reunion with his friends, especially with a certain Major who shall remain Misato. Kaji's heart warmed at the memory of he and Misato telling each other how much they loved each other at their reunion. There had been some rough spots since then, but there is in any relationship, especially in a relationship as complicated as theirs has been.

Kaji sighed as he thought about Shinji and Asuka. _"Talk about a complicated relationship,"_ Kaji thought to himself. He had always known Shinji had feelings for the fiery redhead, but he was never sure if Asuka would ever respond, despite the fact everyone knew she had feelings for him. She had changed so much since she had awakened from her coma that Kaji found it hard to believe it was the same girl he had brought to Tokyo-3, and Kaji knew he had a certain young man to thank for that. Her attitude wasn't near as abrasive as it once was, and certainly less so know that she was pregnant and engaged to the young man she loved. The scared little girl was still there, but she wasn't afraid to get close to people now.

The only thought that darken Kaji's mood was that he was afraid he knew who the father of Asuka's baby was, but he wasn't completely sure, and he definitely didn't want to say anything just yet. To derail this train of thought, Kaji began to plan Shinji's bachelor party in his head. He smirked as he thought about how best to mourn the passing of Shinji's freedom. Cackling to himself, he turned over and went to sleep.

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Shinji woke up the next morning with the now familiar weight of a certain redhead laying on his arm and chest. He glanced down and smiled as she slowly stirred and woke, looking up at him with her bright blue eyes. She seemed so happy and at peace, despite the fact it was early on a Monday morning. Her smile warmed his heart as she leaned forward and gave him a good morning kiss.

"Morning, handsome," she said as she looked deep into Shinji's eyes. _"When did he get to be so good looking?"_ she thought to herself as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"What? Where?" Shinji teased as he looked around the room, looking for an intruder. Asuka smiled as she slugged his chest before laying back down and snuggling into him. She loved to listen to his heartbeat as she shared his warmth and his strength. For his part, Shinji was simply overjoyed that the woman of his dreams was with him.

_"Guten morgen, kinder,"_ Heidi called out as she opened the door to Shinji and Asuka's room. "It's time for you to get up and eat! _Schnell,_ or you'll be late for school!"

_"Scheisse!_" Asuka screeched as she leapt up and started pulling Shinji from the bed, "Get up, idiot! You let us over sleep! Now we're going to be late!"

"Huh? Me?!" Shinji stammered as he slowly got up from the bed, a confused look on his face. "The alarm hasn't gone off yet!"

"Asuka! Watch your language, young lady!" Heidi snapped, her hands on her hips and glaring at her niece.

"Eep! Yes ma'am!" Asuka squeaked as she came to a dead stop before her aunt. Shinji was truly impressed, _nobody_ ever had that kind of effect on Asuka. "But… but Shinji still has to make breakfast and our lunches! We're going to be late, and I really need to talk to Hikari when I get to school!"

"Relax, little one! There's plenty of time! I made your breakfasts and lunches already, so you'll have plenty of time to clean up and eat! But you still need to get going!" Heidi replied as she stood aside and let Asuka run to the bathroom to start her shower. Just about that time, Shinji's alarm went off.

"Thanks, Aunt Heidi," Shinji said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes, "you didn't have to do that. I don't mind making our lunches and such." He gave her a grateful smile. Heidi wasn't surprised that her niece had finally fallen for the young man before her.

"It's my pleasure, Shinji, so don't worry about it! Besides, you are probably going to need all the help and rest you can get from now on. Taking care of a pregnant wife, as well as going to school and a job is going to take it's toll." she replied as she and Shinji left his room for the kitchen. Taking his seat, Shinji smirked as Heidi placed a rather large German breakfast before him.

"Gee, thanks, " he said flatly, " I'm really looking forward to it." Heidi chuckled a bit as she saw the twinkle in his eye. Despite his tone, Shinji had no reservations, and Heidi could see it.

"Eat! We need to make you all nice and strong like a good German husband should be!" Heidi fussed as she set Asuka and Misato's places for them.

"Uh, Heidi?" Shinji said, as he started in on his sausage, " You know I'm Japanese, right? And Asuka and I aren't married yet?" He did his best to suppress his grin.

"Feh! Details! Details!" Heidi replied as she took a seat at the table, a sly grin on her face. Shinji couldn't take it any more and burst out in laughter, joined quickly by Heidi. Asuka chose that time to make her appearance.

"What are you two cackling about?" Asuka muttered as she sat down and tore into her breakfast. Heidi's eyes widened as she saw how bad Asuka's table manners were, and turned to Shinji. He just shrugged resignedly and shook his head. Heidi gave him a quick wink and turned back to Asuka.

"Oh, I was just tell Shinji about how you were still wetting the bed when you were eight, and how cute it was watching you trying to hide or wash the sheets before Oma or I could walk in and discover it!" Heidi said sweetly as she watched Asuka go pale.

"Arrgh!! You didn't!" Asuka screamed as she slammed her hands on the table. Shinji, in his infinite wisdom, didn't say a thing, or make any signs whatsoever that he was going to laugh. He was, however, busting a gut inside. "Aunt Heidi! How could you?! That was a family secret!!"

"I also asked your Shinji if you still drooled at night, but he never answered me," Heidi pouted as Asuka shot daggers in Shinji's direction. He shook his head violently. "Besides Asuka, Shinji's going to be a member of the family, and family shouldn't have secrets from each other." Heidi sat there, resting her chin on her hands and smiled at Asuka sweetly.

"No secrets, huh?" Asuka replied, "How about the time you went out with you co-worker and came back home 15 minutes later because you were so excited to go out with him you forgot to put your panties on?" Asuka smirked as her aunt gasped.

"Oh really? How about all that juicy stuff you wrote in your diary about Kaji, huh? And to think you used to call Shinji a pervert!" Heidi shot back as her niece turned twenty different shades of red.

"Don't you dare!" screeched the young German, looking nervously to Shinji, who's eyes widened a bit at that news, "How about when you came home so drunk from a party you puked in Uncle Hans' urn? If I recall, you blamed it on the dog, and everyone was trying to figure out how Fritz managed to get to the top shelf and get the lid off the urn!"

"Hey, dogs can jump!" Heidi said in her own defense, not very happy that the tables had been turned in her attempt at teasing Asuka.

"Fritz was a miniature dachshund and the shelf was five feet straight up! What, did someone shoot him the butt with a tazer and make him jump that high?" Asuka shot back, crossing her arms and believing she had scored a direct hit. Heidi's eyes narrowed.

"Hey, it could happen! What about the time when you were young and played with your toy boat in the…."

"Ack! No! Alright! I give! I surrender!" Asuka said as she threw her hands up in the air, "I have nothing to counter that. I mean, that's even worse than when I found all you missing underwear in your boyfriend's car that one day!" Asuka's eyes twinkled as she gave her fiancé a wink. Heidi's jaw hit the table.

"When in the hell did you do that?" she stammered as Asuka sat back with a look of triumph on her face. Shinji was ready to burst, he wanted to laugh so badly that tears were trying to stream out of the corners of his eyes.

"Wow, that was quite a battle," a new voice said innocently as Heidi and Asuka turned to the speaker.

"Just where the hell did you come from, Misato?" Asuka demanded as her aunt gave her a smack on the arm.

"Language," Heidi scolded as she pointed a finger at her niece.

"Yes ma'am," came the quiet reply.

"Actually, I've been here ever since you two started you little Teasefest," Misato replied as she sipped her tea, " you were just too busy to notice." She smiled her little vicious smile, knowing she now had fresh ammunition to use. She noticed Shinji slowly getting up from the table, obviously in some distress. "Are you okay, Shinji?" Even Asuka and Heidi looked worried.

"I'm…fine…I…need…a…shower…if…you'll…excuse…me…" Shinji said slowly as he stood and walked to the bathroom. Asuka was worried that maybe her aunt's teasing about Kaji had upset Shinji, and she was going to tear her aunt a new one if it had hurt her man. She didn't have to worry for long, though.

"Bwahahahahahahahah!" Shinji laughed hysterically behind the closed bathroom door. Asuka saw red as she stormed to the door and banged on it hard.

"Ikari! You had better stop laughing this instant or I'm going to make sure we won't have any other children!" she yelled as Heidi and Misato's eyes shot open wide at her announcement.

"Yes…dear!" he replied through giggles as he stepped into the shower, leaving a very angry redhead fuming just outside the door.

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"Come on, Asuka! You aren't still angry, are you?" Shinji asked as he drove himself, Rei, and one very irritated redhead to school. Asuka stared daggers into him as he did his best to pay attention to the road and not flinch as he feared a strike would be coming soon. He was very relieved when all Asuka did was snort and cross her arms. He saw out of the corner of his eye tears forming in her eyes, and it broke his heart.

"You didn't have to laugh, you jerk! You're supposed to be on my side!" she fumed as Rei leaned forward.

"Did you two have a fight this morning?" Rei asked, a bit worried for her brother and her friend. "I have heard of couples breaking up just before their weddings, I do not wish that to happen to you." Her voice was pleading, which was very strange for Rei. Asuka turned to reassure her.

"Not really, Rei, jerk face here laughed at me this morning, that's all! Trust me, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than that for him to be able to escape me!" she said as she slapped Shinji's shoulder, For his part, he smiled at what Asuka had just admitted.

"I didn't laugh at you, Asuka!" Shinji said as he pulled into the school parking lot, "I laughed at you and your aunt having a teasing contest! You should have seen the looks on both of your faces!"

"What was said, Shinji?" Rei requested, and to Shinji's credit, he didn't answer. Asuka was already mad enough this morning.

"Don't you dare, Third!" Asuka growled as he parked. Already a small crowd was beginning to gather around the car.

"Wouldn't think of it, Second!" he replied smirking. The smirk vanished as he saw the look on Asuka's face as they got out of the car. "Are you alright, Asuka?" The young German looked at him, and then back at the crowd. Rei was equally concerned and went to stand by her friend's side. Shinji was there a split second later, and took her by the hand. She was trembling, but Shinji's touch calmed her greatly. She looked at the crowd wide-eyed, then turned to look back at Shinji, and got lost once more in his kind, deep blue eyes. "Asuka?"

"Come here," she gasped as she pulled him by the front of his shirt and planted a deep, loving kiss on his lips. It took him by surprise but he quickly responded and kissed her back just as deeply, both lost in their own little world together. No one else existed, just the two of them as the outside world ceased to be. All too soon the spell, and the kiss, was broken as Shinji leaned back against the car, his knees weak. Asuka looked in his eyes and smiled, as her heart raced and she had to fight the weakness in her own knees.

"There!" she purred as she pulled back and took his hand, "Now everyone knows your mine!" She turned to walk to class when she discovered Shinji wasn't moving. Turning back, she was surprised when he pulled her back toward him and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, sending waves of warmth throughout her body and tingles down her spine.

"What was that for?" she whispered breathlessly as leaned against his chest, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

"Because I love you," he replied, smiling warmly, "and to let everyone know you are mine, as well!" Asuka smirked and turned to face the astonished crowd, as the mask of the Red Demon slid into place.

"Well? What the hell are you morons staring at?" she snarled as the crowd started to disperse. Many were red-faced, some were angry, and some just didn't care. Asuka marked the angry ones in her memory as ones to keep an eye on, most were female and were giving her dirty looks. _"Ha! I knew it! Some of those tramps were after my Shinji!"_ she thought viciously as she took Shinji's hand once more and lead him to their classroom.

"Are you coming, Rei?" Shinji called back as he noticed his sister still standing by the car. He was a little surprised to see her cheeks red and that she was staring at her feet.

"Uh, yeah, I'm coming," she replied as she rushed over to join her brother and future sister-in-law. She still looked a bit down.

"What's wrong, Rei?" Shinji asked, concerned for his sister. Normal life was still so new to her, and he did worry about her, like a good brother should.

"I…uh…just didn't want to intrude," she confessed. Rei knew that couples liked to be alone, and after watching the display of affection her two fellow pilots had just shown, she wasn't too sure if she was welcome. Rei was completely shocked when Asuka slid up next to her and gave her a quick hug.

"You're not intruding, 'sis'," Asuka replied as she tried her best to make Rei more comfortable, "Trust me, I'll let you know if you are!" she teased the blue haired girl. Rei smiled, knowing there wasn't any deception on Asuka's part. She was also happy Asuka regarded her as a sister.

"Are you okay, Asuka? You looked really nervous when we pulled up," Rei observed as they made their way to their classroom. Hikari was there at the door to greet them all. Asuka flashed Hikari a smile as they passed by and took their seats within.

"I'm…fine, " Asuka replied, growing nervous once more. She felt like a million eyes were bearing down on her, like they all knew her little secret. "Just a bit worried, I guess."

"There's nothing to be worried about, hon," Shinji whispered in her ear as he gave her small hug from behind. Asuka immediately felt at peace. "Don't forget, you have a prenatal appointment after school. Section 2 will take you and Heidi there directly and bring you back home as soon as it's over."

"I think that's what I'm nervous about! I'm kinda scared everyone knows what's going on," she whispered back to him as she took his hand.

"It's none of their business, but I'm afraid they'll know soon enough,' he sympathized, then took her hand and kissed it before retreating to his own desk.

"True," Asuka muttered as she reached down and rubbed her belly, which was beginning to swell ever so slightly. It wasn't to the point anyone else would notice, but she knew that would change soon. She smiled at the thought of her and Shinji's baby.

Lunchtime finally arrived as Asuka dragged Rei and Hikari up to their lunch spot by the tree. Hikari was at a loss as for why Asuka was in such a hurry, but it seemed really urgent. Asuka had left her several cryptic messages on her laptop during class which had really peaked her interest, especially when she had said Shinji and the other guys weren't invited. Breathlessly, Hikari, Asuka , and Rei fell in a heap by the base of their tree.

"Asuka, what in Heaven's name was so important that we had to rush up here?" Hikari demanded. "Is everything alright with you and Shinji? I see you didn't want the Stooges here with us this time." Rei and Asuka exchange small smiles and knowing looks before breaking up into small giggles. Hikari was looking a bit annoyed at this.

"Everything's okay with me and Shinji, the baby too! I just didn't want all that testosterone stinking things up around here right now!" Asuka replied as she started to unpack the lunch Heidi had made. She and Rei's mouths started to water almost immediately. "I was just wondering if you noticed anything different about me today?"

"Huh?" Hikari said as she looked at her friend strangely. She looked closely at Asuka. Her hairstyle was still the same, her uniform was no different than before, her baby belly wasn't showing, her shoes were still the same, and she didn't change up her makeup in any way. Hikari was at a loss until she saw a glint coming from a finger on Asuka's left hand. Her jaw hit the ground as words tried to form but refused to cooperate. Finally, her brain slipped into gear. "Ohmigawd! Is that what I think it is?"

"Yep!" Asuka said as she smiled at the friend's reaction. "In two weeks, I'll officially be Mrs. Ikari!" Asuka never got tired of saying that out loud, she just loved the sound of it.

"When…when did he ask? Did you know he was going to ask you?" Hikari stammered, still in total shock over her friends' actions. Was this the same fiery redhead she met back in junior high? Was Shinji still the same painfully shy boy she had known for just as long? The changes were overwhelming.

"He asked me Friday night, after he took me out on an official date, if you can believe that!" Asuka beamed as she showed the ring off to her best friend. "You wouldn't believe what the idiot did to get up enough cash to buy this, though."

"He sold his bike," Hikari replied as he opinion of the young man rose even higher than before. Asuka just looked at her in shock. "Touji told me about Shinji selling his bike Friday evening after he came back from NERV headquarters."

"Did you know he sold his cello, as well?" Asuka added, still a bit peeved at her fiancé. Rei and Hikari's jaws both hit the ground this time.

"He did what?!" Rei screamed as she started looking around for her brother. Asuka had a feeling that Rei wanted to do more than just give him a piece of her mind.

"Calm down, Rei! I already let him have it over that one!" Asuka reassured her as she turned back to Hikari, "So! What time can you come over tonight?"

"Anytime after dinner, why?" Hikari asked, wondering what her friend was up to.

"Well, we need to get your measurements, then get over to the Mall as soon as we can," Asuka replied. Hikari looked at her in confusion.

"Why do you need my measurements?" she wondered as Rei's and Asuka's eyes twinkled. Hikari wasn't sure what the two EVA pilots had up their sleeves.

"Why? For your bridesmaid dress, of course!" Asuka answered her, before becoming serious just a second later, "You do want to be one of my bridesmaids, don't you?"

"What?" Hikari exclaimed, shocked beyond belief, " Yes! Of course! I'll be honored! Thank you Asuka!" Once more, there was squealing, hugging, and tears as the three young ladies held on to one another and jumped around for joy.

"Huh. Wonder what that is all about?" Touji asked as he, Shinji, and Kensuke watched the three ladies jumping up and down by their normal lunch tree. Shinji smiled knowingly, as he knew what Asuka had just asked Hikari, and received a positive answer. Now, it was his turn. He had managed to talk his two friends into taking lunch on the roof, and was waiting for a signal to begin, He had just received that signal from his fiancée.

"Smoke signals?" Kensuke asked. He liked playing this game with Shinji.

"No."

"Telegraph?"

"Nope."

"Semaphore?"

"Not on your life, like anyone could read that these days, anyway!" Shinji replied with a grin, turning and looking at his friends. Kensuke had been trying to think of a way that Shinji would let him let everyone know about Asuka. It was all in good fun, Kensuke had no intentions of revealing the secret.

"Sign language?" Kensuke added. Touji looked at him, becoming rather annoyed at his friend's chatter.

"I'll give you a sign in a minute if you don't shut up!" Touji growled as Shinji sat down and started laughing. His two friends joined him as he opened the lunch Heidi packed. Touji's eyes immediately lit up.

"Dude! You didn't tell me Heidi was back!" Touji exclaimed as Shinji started doling out the lunch to his two best buddies.

"How do you know Heidi's back?" Kensuke asked as Touji dove into the food Shinji provided.

"No one cooks like Heidi! Man, she's the best! Uh, no offense, Shinji," Touji added as he sang the praises of Asuka's aunt. Shinji chuckled.

"No problem," he replied. He knew Touji was expert at eating, and telling who made what meals. It's what saved him several times when other's couldn't tell Misato's cooking from anyone else's from sight alone. It saved him many a stomachache. "Yeah, Heidi came in yesterday from Germany. She wanted to make sure Asuka was doing alright."

"So, how is the De…Asuka doing?" Kensuke asked, catching himself before he could say the wrong thing and end up on the receiving end of an Ikari knuckle sandwich.

"She's doing good, thanks," Shinji replied, "She has a doctor's appointment today after school to see how she and the baby are doing. Heidi's going with her to watch out for her. I'm going to be stuck at NERV today, something about 'learning things that every man should know', at least that's what Misato said," His friends could tell that he wished he could go with Asuka.

"Misato could teach me a thing or two," Touji replied as he stuffed part of an egg roll in his mouth. Kensuke chuckled evilly.

"Better not let Hikari hear you say that," Shinji said, causing Touji to choke on the egg roll. He gave Shinji a dirty look.

"Dude, you wouldn't!" Touji begged as Shinji crossed his arms and stared at him. "After all, I'm a fellow pilot, right?" Shinji's smile was predatory, like a lion eyeing a tasty antelope.

"Well, that depends on what you do and say the next few minutes," Shinji replied as he got his courage up to tell his friends what was going on. "You asked me Friday why I sold my bike, but I never told you why, right?"

"Yeah, Touji told me about that! What gives, man? That bike was the coolest!" Kensuke said as he looked at his friend in shock.

"Yeah, that was the best thing Asuka ever did, convincing you to by that thing!" Touji added as the shock hit him once more. The only decent thing the Demon ever did, and Shinji gets rid of it!

"I had a good reason, guys, trust me!" Shinji said as he readied himself. "I needed the cash to by Asuka a ring."

"A ring?!" both his friends asked in stereo. The looks on their faces were priceless.

"Yes, a ring. I asked her to marry me Friday night, and she agreed!" Shinji answered, his head held high, like he dared his friends to say anything negative. It was a dare they answered.

"Dude! How could you!" Touji screamed, his face white with shock.

"You've betrayed us!" Kensuke added. "Marriage! Man, that's horrible!"

"Yeah, a blow to manhood heard throughout the World!" Touji said. Shinji gritted his teeth.

"Beside, you two are too young, right? You're both just sixteen, right? It's against the law!" Kensuke topped off, like he had just won a debate. He was dead wrong.

"First off, I love Asuka, that will never change!" Shinji growled. "I want her and the baby both in my life, now and forever. Second, we are both military personnel, and as such, we both follow a different set of rules and laws than civilians. Third, Asuka is an emancipated minor, which gives her all the rights guaranteed to adults. Fourth, this will make Asuka happy, and it will make me happy, which should make YOU TWO happy!" He stopped and unclenched his fists. He had hoped they wouldn't act this way. The two of them looked shamed by Shinji's words. They had both known how he had felt about Asuka for a long time now, and this was the logical extension of those feelings after what had happened to Asuka.

"Yo, Shin-man, I'm sorry. I'm happy for you man, honest," Touji said, feeling ashamed and deflated. He and Kensuke didn't stop to think about Shinji's feelings.

"Yeah, me too," Kensuke added softly. "To tell the truth, I'm kinda jealous. I mean, hell, you got the hottest girl in school in love with you, and she agreed to get stuck with your sorry ass!" he said with a smile. Shinji couldn't help but to smile back.

"Good! Now I have a favor to ask. I need you both to be my groomsmen." Touji and Kensuke were thunderstruck, they had never expected this, especially after what they had just said.

"Whoa. Man, I'd be honored," Touji said, not believing his friend had just asked him that.

"Yeah, me too," Kensuke added. Shinji could swear he saw a tear in Kensuke's eye.

"Great! Well then, after school tomorrow, the four of us are going to the Mall and getting our tuxedoes." Shinji said as he and his friends finished up their lunches and started cleaning up.

"Tuxes? Wonderful, I always wanted to look like Pen-Pen!!" Touji mumbled as he put his garbage in the trash can. Shinji slugged his arm.

"Four of us? Who else is coming?" Kensuke asked as he followed his friends off the roof.

"Kaji's coming, too. I asked him to be my best man, guys. No offense, but he is the one who brought Asuka into my life, so it was only logical." Shinji answered as he clasped his two friends on the shoulder.

"So now we know who to blame!" Touji said, mock-seriously as he cracked the knuckle of his good hand with the metal one. Shinji chuckled.

"Be nice, or he won't let you come to the bachelor party!" Shinji warned, as he inwardly cringed at what Kaji had planned. It couldn't be good.

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"Are you ready, Shinji?" Misato whispered softly in his ear, making Shinji's already jangled nerves even worse.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so, Misato," he stammered in response. It had been a long time since he had been this nervous around his guardian. He wasn't sure if he was ready for what they were about to do. "Are…are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Trust me, Shinji, this is something every man should learn," she replied breathlessly. "Since you're a beginner, it's better to hold it with both hands. You can get fancy later."

"Like...like this?" he asked, as she nodded her approval. He was sweating bullets.

"Yes, that's it. Now make sure to line it up, just like I showed you. Trust me, that is very important!" she replied as she wrapped her arms around him to assist. "Ooo, that's good! Now, remember what I told you what to do with your finger?"

"Y…y…yeah?" he replied hesitantly. He was really nervous now, there was no turning back.

"Put your finger right where I showed you, and gently caress it. When your ready, just give it a gentle squeeze. I guarantee you'll hit your mark!" she instructed as she braced both herself and Shinji.

"If…if your sure. Here goes nothing…" he sighed as he readied himself.

_**BLAM!!!**_

"Wow! Great shot, Shinji!" Misato said as she looked at the monitor to see where Shinji had placed the bullet. "You're just a few hairs off of the ten ring. Not bad for someone who never fired a gun before in his life." She ruffled his hair as he blushed from the praise.

"Thanks, Misato!" he replied. Despite the fact he could shoot the wings off a fly with his EVA and a pallet rifle, this firearm in his hand felt very foreign. It was a completely different experience. "You're a great teacher!"

"Thank you, Shinji! It's nice to know I'm good at something!" she said with a wink before she turned pale and put a hand to her forehead. Stumbling backward, she almost fell over the chairs that lined the wall behind them. Shinji placed his handgun on the counter and rushed to her side.

"Misato! Are you alright?" the young man asked as he grabbed her by the arm and lead her to the nearest chair and had her sit down. Shinji was getting worried, this wasn't the first time he had seen Misato grow sick in an instant before his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she replied dismissively, "Just a little tired. Too much work and not enough Kaj...er…play!" She giggled at Shinji's bemused smirk.

"Sure, Misato. I think, as your second-in-command, you should go see a doctor," he said as he placed his hands on his hips. Misato was shocked at the figure Shinji cut in his new uniform. She and Commander Fuyutsuki had decided that the EVA pilots should wear a uniform that would show their status as combat pilots, as well as being easy to remove so they could quickly change into their plug suits.

The uniform consisted of a one piece jumpsuit, just like the ones the armor crews and flight crews wore, only with a more generous cut so they could wear their plug suits underneath if need be. A shoulder holster with quick disconnect straps, a combat knife, and issue boots completed the outfit. To set the EVA pilots apart from everyone else, their flight suits were black in color, rather than the tan of the armor crews or the olive drab of the flight crews.

"And I think Captain Ikari, as your commanding officer, you should pick up your personal weapon and continue your target practice. You have another forty-nine rounds to go, afterwards, I will show you how to strip and clean the HK USP. Remember, you must carry that with you at all times! You never know when you or your loved ones' lives may depend on it!" She said with a wink as she shooed him back to the booth.

"Will you at least talk to Doctor Akagi when we're done here?" Shinji begged as he picked his weapon back up and looked at it with a new found respect. He waited to fire until he got an answer.

"Okay, you win, Shinji," Misato replied, "Now start shooting, Captain!"

"Yes ma'am," he replied as he turned to his target and proceeded to drill it mercilessly, imaging it was what had hurt his beloved. It never stood a chance.

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"We're home!" Misato and Shinji called out together as Shinji set his bag on the floor just inside the door. He was promptly pounced by a flying redhead who proceeded to try to master the patented Misato-sized hug. Shinji quickly wrapped his arms around Asuka and did his best to respond in kind. Afterward, she pulled back and looked at his clothing rather quizzically.

"Hey, Maverick! Whatcha do with Shinji?" Heidi called from the kitchen as she warmed their dinner up in the microwave. The visit with Doctor Akagi took far longer than either one of them thought it would.

"I left him with Iceman back at NERV," he replied, quickly catching Heidi's reference to one of her favorite movies. They watched it many times the last time she visited, and he feared they would have to watch it many more times before she goes back to Germany.

"You look good," Asuka said, "but really, what's with the uniform?" Shinji looked a little embarrassed, and then fearful, at what he was about to say.

"Uh, it's the new standard issue uniform for all EVA pilots," he replied , "at least you won't have to wear yours until you come back to the active roster. They issued all of us a personal weapon, as well."

"Eew, I'm going to have to wear one of those?" Asuka complained as she looked at what Shinji was wearing. _It looks good on him,_ she thought to herself. "Well, I just hope mine's red." She still eyed Shinji's bag.

"Nope! Sorry, Asuka!" Misato replied as she sat down to a cup of tea, "It's black only for EVA pilots!" Asuka crossed her arms and snorted in response.

"But I hate black!" she whined as she snuggled up to Shinji and whispered in his ear. He nodded his head and followed her into their room and closed the door. Shinji was immediately attacked by the fiery young German. It took several minutes before either one of them decided it was time to come up for air.

"I missed you," she sighed as she snuggled into his chest, enjoying the smell of his cologne. She realized it was the one she gave him last Christmas._ I was right, it does smell good on him,_ she thought to herself.

"I missed you, too," Shinji replied as he finally broke from their embrace and set his bag on the bed and opened it. He pulled the most important item from it first and handed it to Asuka. "How are you and our little one doing?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed as she opened the box of German chocolates he had specially ordered for her. She quickly popped one in her mouth and one in his mouth. Shinji stood there and enjoyed the flavor as the candy melted on his tongue. "The doctor said we're both doing fine, but he's a little concerned. It seems that I haven't gained enough weight for him, but these should help! What else do you have?"

"Uh, I have these," Shinji replied as he removed his and Asuka's personal weapons from the bag and set them aside. "We are to be armed from now on, orders of the Commander."

"Even at school?"

"Even at school," Shinji sighed. It was just one more responsibility he had to deal with, one he didn't want. "And after talking to Doctor Akagi…"

"Bitch!" Asuka seethed. Shinji nodded but continued on.

"After talking to the Bitch, I went and picked this up in case of an emergency." he said as he sat Asuka down and had a long talk with her. When he was done, Asuka was wide eyed, but understood the need of the object Shinji held in his hand and then quickly hid in their closet.

"So, what did you ladies do when Misato and I were having fun at NERV?" Shinji asked as he unzipped his flight suit and began to undress. He had it halfway off when he saw Asuka's cheeks turn red and her jaw drop. It was then that he realized what he had done and quickly pulled the suit back on. His blush quickly matched that of Asuka's as he mumbled an apology.

"I'm sorry, Asuka, I...I didn't mean to…" he stammered before she slid over and wrapped her arms around him. He could feel the heat in her cheeks as she hugged him tight.

"No, that's okay, just a shock, I guess," she replied shyly. "You would think that after spending our nights together for a while now, that wouldn't embarrass us. We are engaged, you know!" she continued, that last part mainly for her own benefit. Shinji nodded. "I've seen you in less!"

"I know, but we've never actually _undressed_ in front of each other before," Shinji added, still embarrassed. "I guess we're being silly," he said as he gathered his civilian clothing and started to walk to the bathroom. Asuka put a hand on his arm, preventing him from leaving. "Asuka?"

"No, stay," she said in a small voice, "this is your room too. It's just something we're going to have to get used to, I guess. Not that I mind, but…uh...that didn't come out right…" she stammered as Shinji's jaw dropped.

"Sheesh, I know it's serious when Asuka Langley Soryu is at a loss for words!" Shinji chuckled as his lady stood back and crossed her arms, a smirk on her face.

"Soon to be Asuka Langley Ikari, thank you very much! Just for that, strip! I wanna see what I'm getting myself into!" she commanded as she stood there and tapped her foot. Shinji raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms, before uncrossing them and making little circle motions with a finger.

"Nope, turn around first!" he said playfully as he took his pose once more, Several seconds passed before Asuka huffed, uncrossed her own arms, and turned on her heels. Shinji grinned like a wolf.

"Fine! Whatever! Just hurry up so I can tell…EEEEEEEK!" Asuka screamed as Shinji rushed up behind her and scooped her up in his arms. The startled redhead kicked her legs furiously in the air as Shinji spun her around, "Ikari, you asshole! Put me down now!"

"Uh uh! Not till you say the magic words!" he said as he continued to spin her around, cradled safely in his arms.

"Now, you jerk!" she screamed as Shinji laughed his head off.

"Wrong words!" he replied between chuckles as he stopped spinning and held her above the bed. Asuka's eyes widened when she saw his bare chest. He had managed to slip partially out of his suit before he grabbed her.

"Please, Shinji?" she asked as he gently placed her on top of their bed and gazed down on her face.

"Still not the right words," he whispered, smiling gently. _She has never looked happier, despite everything that's going on right now,_ Shinji thought to himself as his lady smiled back up at him.

"Idiot," Asuka replied without malice, "I love you," she whispered to him. His grin grew exponentially.

"Those were the magic words," he replied as he bend down and gave her a kiss.

"God, you're so damn sappy!" she replied as she sat up and returned the favor, before the sound of a throat being cleared interrupted their happy moment. They turned to see Hikari and Rei standing in the doorway of their room, a shocked look on the class representative's face and an annoyed one on Rei's.

"Forgotten what we have to do, I see," Rei said as crossed her arms and scowled at the young couple. They quickly stood as Shinji struggled back into his flight suit, as both look shamed faced. Asuka quickly recovered and gave her future husband a quick kiss.

"Shinji, what are you doing in Asuka's room, and why was she screaming?" Hikari asked, looking ready to beat the snot out of him. She was so sure Shinji Ikari was a nice guy, but now she had some doubts.

"It's his room, too, Hikari," Asuka replied as she gathered her handbag and scooted out the door, shooing the other two girls away. "We'll be married in less than two weeks, so we started sharing the room already. Don't look so shocked! I'll explain it better on the way to the Mall! Come on!"

"Don't forget these," Shinji said as he passed car keys to Asuka, who quickly gave them to her aunt. Shinji was still surprised that Asuka never got her license, despite the fact she was an ace EVA pilot. That was a small part of the mystery people called Asuka.

"Thanks! We'll be back as soon as we can!" she said as she ran back over to him and gave him a quick kiss. Hikari was still in a state of shock.

"Sure you will," he smirked as he was all too familiar with Asuka's shopping habits. She gave him a wink as she and the others left.

"Don't wait up!"

"You know I will," he replied as the door slid shut. He retreated back to his room to finish changing his clothes when noticed Misato sitting at the table and looking at him like he was fresh bait and she was a shark. He realized that he had just given Misato enough fresh ammunition for a month's worth of teasing. Sticking his tongue out at her, he shut the door quickly, but not before he heard the peals of laughter coming from his older roommate. "Oh god, this is gonna suck!"


	4. Chapter 4

-1**A/N:**_ I want to apologize to everyone for how long it has taken me to finish and post this chapter. I had several major problems in my personal life occur since the last chapter was posted, the worst being the death of my father. This plunged me into a rather bad depression, causing any and all creative juices to stop flowing for a while. I now dedicate his story to my father, Charles Gordon Talley. He was a cantankerous old fart, but he was my father, I loved him, and I shall miss him. Thank you-Lord Talon._

Father

Part 4

Shinji sighed as he tried to relax, as Asuka snuggled up to him and drifted off to sleep. Her rhythmic breathing calmed him somewhat, but the events of the past week loomed in his mind. As hard as he and Asuka had tried to hide the fact that they were engaged, the news spread through the school like wildfire. The ring on her finger was a dead giveaway, he smiled at how proud Asuka was to wear it. He felt bad that he couldn't get her a better one, but he knew she would be happy with the matching wedding ring that went with it. Asuka wanted to get him a fancy ring as well, but he insisted on just a simple gold band.

The week had gone by in a flash, between school, NERV, and making preparations for the wedding. The shopping trip with Touji, Kensuke, and Kaji was …interesting…to say the least…

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_Tuesday_

"Aw, dude, this is embarrassing!" Touji complained as the tailor rushed around him, taking his measurements and making sure that the tuxedo that had been picked out was the proper fit. "Man, I don't wanna look like a penguin!"

"Don't let Pen-Pen hear you say that," Shinji replied as he endured his torture with a pleasant smile on his face. Normally, he would run from such attention, but this wasn't a normal circumstance. He wanted everything to be perfect for Asuka, and if she wished him in a tuxedo, she was going to get it.

"Yeah, that's one tough penguin," Kaji added as he stood leaning against a nearby doorframe, his fitting complete, " Trust me, he'll bitch-slap all the way back to Second Impact if he heard you gripping about looking like him!" Shinji and Kensuke joined Kaji in a good chuckle as Touji stood there, glowering. He looked he was ready to leave right then and there when suddenly, he straightened out and stared out the front window of shop. That drew everyone's eyes to the same place.

Hikari was standing outside the window, looking in and admiring how he looked in his suit. Asuka, Rei and Misato stood there as well, waving at the guys inside when Misato got a mischievous look on her face. Pulling several bills from her purse, she started waving them in the air and calling out to them.

"Woo-hoo! Come on guys! Work for it! Shake that little money maker!!" she screamed as Asuka and Rei took up the cat calls as well, waving singles in the air. Hikari, for her part, took about three steps back and looked around, trying to go unnoticed.

"Excuse me? _Little_? Is that a challenge?" Kaji said as he stood from the doorframe and gave Shinji a nudge, who looked a bit confused for a second as Kaji motioned toward Touji, the window, and the objects of their affections. A silly grin grew on his face as he got what Kaji was thinking about, and turned to look at Kensuke.

"Uh uh! No way! You just go ahead and embarrass yourselves, I'll hang back!" Kensuke whispered as Shinji and Kaji stepped forward and grabbed Touji by the arms and dragged him to the window in front of the ladies, who were now starting to draw a small crowd. The tailor stood back in mild amusement as Kaji and Shinji whispered their plan to Touji, who at first looked mortified, then calmed down when Kaji told him to just look at Hikari and have some fun.

"Oh, what the hell! It's not like anyone at school is going to see this," Touji replied, not realizing that Kensuke had his ever present camera with him and was starting to record the whole thing. Together, the guys started to dance, or at least attempt to dance, before the ladies.

"You don't think that…" Rei whispered to the others as Asuka and Hikari's eyes got bigger. Misato's grin just got bigger as she started to yell even louder, her delight growing as the guys synchronized their movements, step for step and move for move.

"Not a chance, " Hikari added, red faced, but smiling, seeing Touji having so much fun and acting silly.

"If Shinji doesn't, I'll beat the crap out of him when we get home!" Asuka said as she watched her fiancé make an absolute fool of himself in the window, and was loving every minute of it. She still wasn't sure what had happened to Shinji Ikari, but it was a change for the better. He had finally opened up and was acting like a real person.

"I bet you that they won't do it," Rei said as she watched her brother and the other two in amazement. It had taken Asuka and Shinji a week at learn how to move together like that, how the three idiots in the window had learned how to do it in just a matters of moments was completely beyond her.

"I'll take that bet," Misato said as the show in the window was starting to get wilder, "How do you think Kaji paid his way through college? That's how I first met him!"

"Oh my god, they're taking off their jackets!" Hikari gasped as she turned an even deeper shade of red as she realized just exactly what it was the guys were doing.

"Yup! And next come the ties!" Misato yelled over the loud crowd as she gave the three young ladies a wink. "Woo-hoo! Come on, baby! Work it!" She was answered by a wave from all three idiots in the widow. The tailor stood there and laughed his butt off.

"Oh crap! They're taking off their shirts!" Hikari exclaimed as she watched them start unbuttoning their shirts and pulling them from their slacks. As one, they pulled them off and started twirling them in the air like lassos. Asuka and Rei stood and giggled at the spectacle before them, until Asuka started watching her fiancé much closer.

She felt as if she was seeing him for the first time in a very long time. Having never seen him shirtless before, except in brief accidental glimpses and the incident the night before, she had never seen how well Shinji Ikari was developing. His abs were very well defined, not quite a six-pack, but getting there. His arms were no longer the skinny toothpicks they were when she had first met Shinji, but were nicely muscled, as was his chest.

_"Hmm, no wonder he was able to take care of those orderlies so easily!"_ she thought to herself as she thought back to the incident in the medical wing. She looked around and saw the size of the crowd they had drawn with the impromptu striptease, most of which were women. Looking from Shinji and back to the women, Asuka felt a surge of jealousy course through her heart, as she realized that they were enjoying watching her fiancé! She felt something else stir within her as she flushed from head to toe, and she quickly realized that she simply did NOT want her fiancé to parade himself before all those lecherous female eyes!

"Shinji Ikari, you had better…" she started to mutter, but before she could finish, the guys started to dance away from the window, their pants at least still in place as a curtain was slowly drawn across the window by the still laughing tailor. He was extremely pleased, because he knew he couldn't buy better publicity than the stunt the NERV personnel had just pulled.

"Wow! That brings back some great memories!" Misato said as she turned back to the three girls, but her smile quickly faded as she saw how pale Asuka had become. "Asuka, are you alright?" The young redhead seemed to sway a bit as Rei and Hikari quickly rushed to her side to keep her from falling. Misato was ready to call for Shinji when Asuka waved her off.

"I'm…I'm fine, Misato! Just a bit dizzy, that's all," she said as her guardian and friends looked completely unconvinced. "I'm fine! Really! Sheesh! I just need something to eat, I think I missed breakfast this morning!" Misato merely cocked an eyebrow at her response, since she knew perfectly well that Asuka had eaten a rather large German breakfast that morning.

"Asuka, are you sure?" Rei asked as she looked at her fellow pilot, concern plainly on her face. Asuka was touched by the care her friends were showing for her. The old Asuka would have railed against such sympathies, but many things had changed since she had come to Tokyo-3, the tiny life growing within her being the biggest. It had opened her world to so many wonderful things that she had previously closed herself off from, especially the love of a certain young man that had just made a fool of himself for her enjoyment. A small smile came to her face at what she had planned to accomplish with this latest trip to the Mall.

" Yeah, I'm sure, Rei," Asuka replied as pulled herself together and started herding her friends toward the food court, " I just need to feed the kiddo, you know! Come on, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can get to the music store! We got some serious shopping to do….."

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_Wednesday_

Shinji tried to keep from rubbing his shoulder as he stood before his father's desk. Asuka came home in a foul mood the previous night and had slugged him several times in the shoulder before tears welled up in her eyes and she collapsed into his arms. Shinji was extremely concerned, to say the least, as he turned to look at Misato for some clue as to what had caused the outburst. Misato was uncharacteristically quiet as she returned Shinji's glance, then retreated from the kitchen with Heidi in tow. After a while, Asuka stopped crying , snuggled up to him and apologized for hitting him. She refused to tell him what was wrong, but her kisses to the injured area helped to chase the worry from Shinji's mind for the nonce.

"What is it, Captain?" Gendo asked, not coldly, as Shinji stood before him. "I believe you have some reports for me?" Shinji stood at parade rest, then relaxed somewhat as his father nodded for him begin.

"Indeed," he replied as he placed several report folders on the Commander's desk then stood back as Gendo picked them up and flipped through them. His father's eyes actually widened a bit as he stopped and passed the report over to Fuyutsuki. The Sub-Commander's face remained impassive as usual, but a strange twinkle grew in his eyes as he glanced through the folder. He and Gendo nodded to each other as they turned back to Shinji.

"As you can see, gentlemen," Shinji started, his own face remaining impassive, " this report shows how much money can be saved, how much property can be salvaged, and how many lives can be saved if we move to intercept the Angels outside of Tokyo-3. I believe that this can be a huge P.R. boost for NERV, and may be able to convince the U.N. of the necessity of increasing our budget for certain projects. It merely has to see that we are interested in saving ALL human lives, not just Humanity as a whole."

"And these projects you have outlined here?" Gendo asked, his face hidden behind his gloved hands, as usual. Shinji thought it was rather childish of his father at trying to hide himself from everyone else.

"Research here shows that we can produce anti-Angelic weaponry without the need to use an EVA. It may not be able to kill an Angel, but it should be able to damage it and slow it down enough for an EVA to intercept it outside of the city. Fighting a damaged Angel will greatly increase the odds of a victory for the EVA with less damage to the unit." Shinji explained. "Using the information we have on the Lance of Longinus, we should be able to replicate it on a somewhat smaller scale. As stated earlier, they may not be able to destroy an Angel, but it should be strong enough to pierce any A.T. field and at least damage the Angel."

"Where did you get the information on the Lance, Captain?" Gendo asked, somewhat perplexed. There had been earlier reports, many years back, claiming the same. He had thought he had all of these destroyed long ago. In fact, most of this information looked extremely familiar.

"From the Magi, Commander," Shinji replied, "It was hard to find, but if you dig deep enough, you can find just about anything there. Obviously, back when the EVAs were being constructed, diverting resources to such negligible projects was a waste. However, with all three EVAs complete and in good condition, we can explore other means of defense." Gendo raised an eyebrow at Shinji's answer and reasoning.

"So you do understand why such avenues weren't followed in the first place?" the Commander asked.

"Yes, I do," Shinji answered, "but now that time has passed, and this is an avenue we must explore." The elder Ikari and Fuyutsuki looked at each other, not knowing how to bypass this argument and reasoning. Shinji had a point.

"What about this next item, Captain?" Fuyutsuki asked a he picked up the next folder. Gendo nodded at the question. Shinji sighed a bit before giving his explanation.

"Unfortunately, it has been demonstrated time and again that the security forces employed by NERV are incapable of the tasks of which they have been charged. Section 2 has been shown to be a joke, and in simulated drills run in the past, the armed security forces have been stymied by their inability to find arms, supplies, and actual locations! I had the firearms testing scores of ALL security personnel pulled, and I was extremely dismayed." Shinji said as a small flash of concern showed on his face, but only briefly.

"How so, Captain?" Gendo asked, wondering what Shinji worried about.

"The average score on the qualification tests were abysmal, scoring only a thirty-nine out of a possible one hundred. Along with the fact that over fifty percent of the security forces have not gone back and re-qualified in the required amount of time, as stated in NERV regulations, leads me to believe we have a serious flaw in our training programs and security." Shinji concluded, placing his hands behind his back. Gendo was, in a word, annoyed. He picked the report up and read through it carefully as Shinji and Fuyutsuki stood by, patiently.

"Why have I not been informed of this sooner?" Gendo growled. He made it a point to read every report that crossed his desk, and had specific instructions for a security report to be made every week. Nothing in the reports ever showed this kind of problem. "Who is in charge of security, again?"

"Lieutenant Tanaka, sir," Shinji and Fuyutsuki replied as one, startling Gendo somewhat.

"Make arraignments for Tanaka to be brought before me after this meeting," he said to the Sub-Commander, who nodded curtly. "What, may I ask, caused you to become concerned with the details of NERV security, Captain?" Gendo knew the answer, but wanted confirmation.

"I have my reasons, sir," Shinji stated, _"Four of them, to be exact,"_ he thought to himself. His father merely nodded.

"And what do you propose that we do to remedy this situation?" the elder Ikari asked.

"First off, have all security personnel immediately re-qualify with their firearms. Any score below a seventy will be considered a failing grade and said personnel will be pulled from the active roster until such time as they re-qualify, or fail to pass a third and final time." Shinji answered, stone cold in his resolve.

"Isn't that kind of harsh, Captain?" Fuyutsuki wondered, somewhat alarmed at the change that had overcome the younger Ikari.

"Begging your pardon, sir," Shinji replied through clinched teeth, "but if I can qualify with a score of eighty-five, being a rank beginner, then surely the so-called 'professionals' can score a seventy, if they wish to keep their jobs."

_"Ouch!"_ the two commanders thought in unison. Shinji took a calming breath and continued.

"Second, I propose the creation of an elite security unit who's job it will be to prevent and repulse any attack or incursion on NERV or NERV personnel. They will all be ready for combat at a moment's notice, and they will know the layout of headquarters better than they know the layout of their own anatomy." Fuyutsuki had to bite back a chuckle at Shinji's remark. Gendo smiled behind his hands.

"Who would be in command of the unit?" Gendo asked, wondering if Shinji had thought it out.

"Over all command would fall under Major Katsuragi," Shinji replied, "But the field commander will be up to you. The unit will be divided up amongst four teams: The Berserkers, The Spartans, The Furies, and The Corsairs. Each team will be assigned a color and a quadrant of headquarters that will be their responsibility. That quadrant will be color coded same as the team to help prevent future confusion. Each team will assign men to take over Section 2's duties in guarding the EVA pilots, as well." Gendo was pleasantly surprised, Shinji had thought it through.

_"He is becoming quite formidable,"_ the elder Ikari thought of his son, "_at last!"_ Clearing his throat, Gendo spoke up "I shall take your recommendations under advisement, Captain. Does your training go well?"

"Thus far," Shinji replied, "Most of what I have learned has been use of firearms and after-mission reports. The Major is working on a more detailed training schedule to be implemented within the next several weeks."

"I see" his father said, as his eyes narrowed in anticipation of the next part of the meeting. "Is there anything else, Captain?" Shinji felt his stomach start to tie itself in knots, but he refused to allow the discomfort to show on his face. He would not give his father the satisfaction. Gendo merely sat there, waiting for a reply.

"Indeed," Shinji stated as he steeled himself for what was to come. He was absolutely positive that his father knew that he planned to wed Asuka, but he still wasn't sure as to what his reaction would be. Shinji drew himself up taller as he began.

"As you may well know, I have asked the Second Child for her hand in marriage. She has agreed to become my wife," Shinji said, shaking violently on the inside as he came up to the most crucial part of the entire visit.

"Yes, I am aware of it," Gendo replied, his face a mask. "The fact that you are willing to accept another man's responsibility is commendable." Shinji was shocked at the compliment.

"I wonder," Fuyutsuki asked with concern, "is it fair to Asuka and her child? Is it fair to you, Shinji? After all, you only asked her because she's pregnant. While that is very valiant of you, I have my concerns." Shinji stiffened at the Sub-Commander's comments.

"I asked her because I love her, sir," Shinji replied coldly, as he had not expected such doubts from Fuyutsuki, "and she said 'yes' for the same reason. The baby was a factor, but not the only one."

"I apologize, Captain," Fuyutsuki said as he bowed slightly, "I meant no offense. I was merely concerned with your and the Second's welfare." Shinji's posture relaxed somewhat as he turned back toward his father.

"Since we are both military personnel and under your command, I am following protocol and I am asking for permission for the two of us to wed." Gendo's eyes widened imperceptibly at what Shinji had just asked. He had never expected it.

"If I were to refuse your request?" he probed, wondering what Shinji's reaction would be. Shinji, for his part, was not affected. He had always figured that this was coming.

"Then we would proceed as planned, anyway," Shinji answered truthfully, taking both commanders by surprise. "It was merely a courtesy and a formality to seek the Commander's blessing."

"And what of my blessing as your father?" the elder Ikari asked, startling Shinji somewhat. He hid it well as he replied.

"In all honesty, I hadn't thought to ask for your blessing as my father," Shinji said, trying to hide the bitterness and sadness in his voice. "I was under the impression that it wouldn't matter to you."

"Ah," Gendo replied, as a strange feeling began to creep through his body. Disappointment? Regret? He wasn't sure, but he did not enjoy it. "I see. Well, seeing how you did follow protocol for once and extended this courtesy to me, I see no reason to deny your request. Permission granted. In fact, you may use the Great Hall for the ceremony and reception." Fuyutsuki and Shinji were both in a state of shock, but neither one showed it.

"Thank you, Commander," Shinji said as he pulled two wedding invitations from his flight suit and placed them before Gendo, who looked at them with disinterest. "It is planned for the Saturday after next. I'll inform Asuka of your offer, I know this will help greatly."

"It…was my pleasure," his father replied, stunning the two others in the room once more. "Is there anything more, Captain?"

"No sir," Shinji replied as he saluted, spun on his heel and marched for the door before the Commander called back to him once more.

"As your father, Shinji, I would have said 'yes', as well," Gendo said. Shinji was completely taken aback by his father's comment.

"Thank…thank you, Father," Shinji stammered, completely in shock at what his father had just admitted. Gendo smiled slightly behind his hands as he watched his son leave the office.

"Getting soft in your old age, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki chuckled, still in disbelief at his old student's behavior.

"Hardly," Ikari replied as he pulled several memos from his desk and read them over before calling for his secretary to send the out. "Keeping the pilots relatively happy will help ensure the success of our scenario."

"And the part about your answer, as a father?" the older gentleman prodded.

"It was said to elicit a reaction from the Third Child. He has really come a long way, but has much further to go if a simple familial compliment is enough to shake him." Kozu cocked an eyebrow in response. "Besides, Yui would be proud of him."

_"And perhaps,"_ Ikari thought to himself, _"deep down, I may be proud of him as well."_

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_Thursday_

"This is the place! I just know it!" Asuka exclaimed as she walked into the small store, located just on the outskirts of Tokyo-3.

"Well, it pretty much has to be," Heidi replied as she stepped in behind the younger German, "It's the last music store between here and Tokyo-2." Her niece nodded as she looked around the shop.

"It's not that, it's just that something about this place just screams 'Shinji', you know," Asuka answered back. Heidi smirked. "What?"

"I thought you were the one who was supposed to scream 'Shinji'!" Heidi teased as Asuka blushed from head to toe.

"Aunt Heidi! That's not funny! We haven't …" Asuka fumed while Heidi held her hands up in a peace gesture.

"I know! I'm just teasing!" The older redhead said playfully, "Anyway, what were you saying?" Asuka huffed.

"I was going to say that this looks like the kind of place that idiot would spend time in," she finished as she started to look around in earnest.

"Asuka, don't call your fiancé an idiot," Heidi admonished as Asuka stepped forward to study the various instruments on display.

"Well, he is! Sometimes…" Asuka replied as she found the string section of the store. She started to search frantically for something. "Ah! There they are!" Grabbing Heidi by the hand, she dragged her over to the display of cellos.

"All men can be idiots, sometimes," came Heidi's amused answer. "And most women, too!" she added pointedly as she watched Asuka closely examining the cellos that were on display.

"What does that mean?" her niece asked as she continued her examinations.

"Well, let's see," Heidi began as she leaned against a counter and crossed her arms, "Just how long did you deny your feelings for Shinji? Even to the point of insulting and belittling him to hide your own feelings?" She watched Asuka's ears turn redder than her hair.

"I'm not proud of that," Asuka answered, as she gently replaced one cello and started examining another, "I don't do that any more, I hurt him so badly in the past."

"I know, I was around for it last time," Heidi said soothingly, afraid a waterfall of tears would soon follow, "but even now, a little of the old attitude still slips through. The way you called him 'idiot' wasn't very nice. It's like you are still trying to hide from everyone, or distance yourself again." Asuka stopped her search and stood with her head hung low.

"I'm trying, I really am. It's just so hard, after spending most of my life trying to keep everyone out. I can't change overnight. I'm not that way around Shinji anymore, am I? I try to let the real me show when he's around, you know?" Heidi walked over and put an arm around the young woman. "That's why we're here, I gotta do this for him! He's given up so much for me, I have to show him how much he means to me!"

"Asuka, he knows how much you love him, you don't have to go and get him something extravagant." the older woman said gently, but Asuka shook her head.

"No, you don't understand, Auntie! The cello was his mother's, it's the only thing he had of her, and he gave it up for us!" Asuka cried as she rubbed her belly, like she was trying to draw strength from the small life growing inside. Heidi's eye's grew wide as Asuka turned once more and continued to search for several minutes more before turning back to her aunt, tears filling her eyes.

"It's not here," she dejectedly as tears threatened to pour from her eyes and down her cheeks. "This must not be the place." Heidi moved forward to comfort her niece once more, as the two of them turned to head back toward the door.

"May I help you?" a rather bored voice called out from a doorway behind the front counter. Heidi turned to the speaker while Asuka wallowed in her misery. The speaker turned out to be a gentleman in his late 30's, sort of short and having an air of self-importance about him. His bored expression was very obvious.

"Yes, you can," Heidi answered, grabbing Asuka by the hand and pulling her toward the counter. "Do you have anymore cellos in the back? My niece and I are looking for a very special one."

"Humph! There really isn't much of a demand for cellos," the speaker mused, "but we do have a few in the back."

"Really?!" Asuka perked up as she rushed to the counter and slapped her hands down. "Can we see them, please?" she asked in her sweetest voice. The shopkeeper wasn't moved.

"Unfortunately, they are quite large and difficult to get to. I wouldn't wish to damage any of them. I assure you, the ones on the sales floor are very good and will be adequate for your needs," he replied in a rather bored voice. Asuka and Heidi were stunned by his attitude, as a growl started to build in Asuka's throat.

"Please, sir, we're looking for a very specific one," Heidi stated as she placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder to keep her from doing anything rash. "Did a young man come in here several weeks ago and sell a cello to you?"

"Not to me," the clerk sniffed in a very self-important voice, "I was at a very important conference in Hokkaido until just a few days ago. Perhaps my father…." Without another word, he turned and went back through the doorway, only to return a moment later with a much older gentleman in tow.

"How can I help you young ladies?" he croaked as Heidi blushed at being called 'young lady', Asuka stifled a giggle. Before Heidi could say anything, Asuka spoke up.

"Please excuse us, sir, but we were wondering if a young man came in a few weeks back and sold a cello to you?" The older gentleman's eyes lit up as he thought back.

"Why, yes! There was! A very well mannered young man, to be sure," he said as he cast his eyes over to the other clerk for just a fraction of a second. "He wanted to sell his cello to raise money to by a ring for…how did he put it? Oh, yes, 'the most beautiful woman in the world.' That was it! Would that happen to be you, my dear?" Asuka blushed at what the old man had just said.

"Yes, she would be," Heidi replied since Asuka was too shocked and embarrassed to say anything, "May we see it, please?"

"Most certainly! Maka! Go fetch it from my office, at once! Be careful!" The young man scowled as he turned back to the back, mumbling to himself. "Please forgive me, but I must ask. Are you two sisters?" Once more, Heidi blushed.

"No sir, this is my Aunt, Heidi Zeppelin, and I'm Asuka Langley Soryu," Asuka introduced herself and her aunt, who was still too flustered to speak. The old man bowed deeply before he spoke.

"I'm Honshu Takayamagi, and this is my son, Maka," the older gentleman said, motioning to his son who was gently placing the cello case on the counter. Asuka's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the letters 'I.Y.' stenciled in gold on the front of the case. Honshu opened the case reverently to reveal the work of art within.

"Beautiful, is it not? The young man told me all about it's history. Did you know it is almost two centuries old, and had belonged to his mother before it was passed to him? After I purchased it from him, I examined it very closely and did some research. It was made by a very famous cello maker and is very, very rare indeed." Honshu's face beamed at the treasure he displayed for the two ladies. Maka's eyes glittered with greed.

"May I see the back of it, please?" The young German asked, the excitement building within her. Honshu gently lifted the cello and turned it over, revealing a small scratch at the junction of the body and the neck. Asuka gasped.

"That's it! That's Shinji's cello!" she exclaimed as a look of pure delight spread upon her face. Seeing the scratch confirmed it. Asuka had inadvertently caused it the summer before when one of her A10 clips fell from her head and struck the cello one day when Shinji was playing it. She had felt so bad when it happened, but Shinji just laughed it off.

"How much do you want for it, Mr. Takayamagi?" Heidi sighed with relief as the past several days had been pure torture as they had went from music store to music store looking for the cello. Before the older man could reply, his son grabbed him and pulled him to the side. A heated argument ensued, before the younger Maka came back to the counter, a smile reminiscent of a shark's on his face. Heidi felt her heart drop before any word was said.

"You can have this lovely antique for a mere one hundred thousand," he said smoothly. Heidi and Asuka's jaws hit the floor, while Maka merely smiled. "Trust me, that is a bargain."

"One hundred thousand?!" Asuka screamed, "Just how much did you give Shinji for it to begin with?!" Asuka knew there was no way she could afford to buy it back at that price.

"I gave him nine thousand for it, " Honshu replied as his son gave him a wicked look and waved for him to be silent.

"Yes, but that was before we discovered how rare and valuable it was," the younger Takayamagi sneered. Asuka could feel the rage building up inside of her.

"What?! That's outrageous! The only reason he sold it was to help take care of us…err…me! It meant so much to him! Please, could you reconsider?" she managed to get out before stopping and gasping for air. Maka's smile grew even bigger.

"My apologies, I didn't realize how important it was to you," he replied with false sincerity, "One hundred and fifty thousand."

"How could you?!" Asuka screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I…I wanted to get it back for him so I could give it to him as a wedding gift! Don't you have any heart at all?"

"Humph! You are too young to get married! If you want it, you'll pay my price! Trust me, I can find another buyer for it!" Maka barked as he placed the cello back in it's case, snapped the latches closed and stood back, arms crossed in defiance. "If this guy means so much to you, you'll pay me what I want! Now, either show me the cash, or get out of my store!" This was more than the older Takayamagi could take, as he picked up a set of drumsticks and proceeded to ricochet them off his son's head.

"Now listen here," he hissed into his son's ear, which he had grabbed and pulled down to his lips, " this is still MY store, and you WILL NOT talk to my customers in such a disrespectful way! Now, get back there to the back and make yourself useful before I kick you out like your boyfriend in Hokkaido did! Out!" No sooner had Maka shuffled out of the room, his tail between his legs, than Honshu approached the two redheads as they turned to head out the door.

"Ladies, please wait," the old man said gently as he reached out and took Asuka's hand. Much to her own surprise, she didn't flinch or pull away. Something in the gentleman's touch was warm and comforting. As one, they turned back toward him.

"Please, I must apologize for my son's rudeness," he began as he gazed into Asuka's eyes. "Your young man, he must mean very much to you, yes?"

"More than I can say," came Asuka's honest reply, as she wiped tears from her eyes. Honshu and Heidi smiled gently, as he produced a handkerchief and gave it Asuka to wipe her tears away.

"Is he the father?" he asked, causing Heidi's jaw to drop and Asuka to go deathly pale.

"How…how did…?" she stammered as the older man gently patted her hand.

"Please, be calm," he reassured, "Young lady, I'm the father of nine children, of which only that fool Maka still lives with me. Trust me, I know the signs, I can see your glow." Asuka's color got a little better as the gentleman continued to comfort her.

"Yes, he is, " Asuka replied as Honshu lead her to a chair and had her sit down and relax. Honshu nodded his head sagely as he produced a cup of tea out of nowhere. Heidi shook her head at the older man's actions.

"There, you look like you're beginning to feel better now," he smiled as he pulled two other chairs out for he and Heidi to sit. "So, you are the one Mr. Ikari always spoke about. It is nice to finally meet you!"

"You know Shinji?" Heidi asked as she looked at the older man warily. Honshu chuckled when he saw Asuka's eyes grow large, then cast a knowing smile at Heidi.

"See, I told you this seemed like a place Shinji would shop!" Asuka gloated as she relaxed, feeling much better after her cup of tea.

"Yes, your young man has been shopping here for years, always getting music for his cello, or ordering classical music on SDAT. I'm one of the few places that still carry that format. Everyone else seems to have gone to MP3's. He even bought a bow right around last Christmas. However, it wasn't for a cello, but for a violin." Honshu smiled as he thought about one of his best customers.

"_So this is where he got it"_ Asuka mused, thinking back to when she had shattered her old bow in a fit of rage. Shinji had wrapped up the new one and gave it to her for Christmas. Something about that memory puzzled her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Now, about the cello," Honshu began, causing Asuka and Heidi to cringe, "As much as I would love to give it to you two as a wedding gift, I fear that I cannot. Taking a loss like that would damage my business beyond the point of repair."

"I…I understand, Mr. Takayamagi," Asuka replied sadly, eyes downcast. It would have broken the old man's heart, if he hadn't already had something up his sleeve. "I hope you will be able to find someone to buy it that enjoys it as much as I have."

"Ah, yes, I already have," he smiled as he reached over and patted Asuka's hand once more. He caught Heidi's eye and gave her a quick wink. "Would ten thousand be within your budget? That would cover my cost plus a small profit, so I don't have to hear my son griping too much."

"Uh…yeah, we can do that!" Asuka stammered, utterly dumbfounded at the price. After hearing how valuable the cello was, she was resigned to never seeing it again. "Thank you, Mr. Takayamagi!" With that, she did something very un-Asuka like, she gave the old man a hug, much to his delight. After the exchange of money, Honshu helped load the cello very gingerly in the back of Misato's car.

"Now remember, don't tell Shinji about it!" Asuka said from the car as she and Heidi prepared to leave. She reached out and handed Honshu an envelope. Realizing what it was, he bowed deeply.

"I wouldn't think of it, sweet lady! And thank you!" he said as they pulled away. With a smile still on his face, he turned back to his shop and prepared to set his son straight on just who runs the store.

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_Friday_

"Lieutenant Aoba?" Shinji asked as he stood by the table in the NERV cafeteria. Shigeru looked up and his good mood vanished in an instant, as his face became a mask to conceal his emotions.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" Shigeru asked in the most neutral tone he could muster. He was still very angry over what had happened on the Bridge several days back.

"May I sit?" Shinji asked nervously, waiting for the older man to respond. Shinji felt he had something very important to do, and had put it off as long as he could.

"You outrank me, _sir_, you don't have to ask permission." Shigeru replied, still staring down into his tray. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

"It's the polite thing to do," Shinji answered as he continued to stand. Shigeru's head snapped up at the reply, a look of bewilderment upon his face. Realizing that Shinji wouldn't move until he was invited, Shigeru shook his head and waved to the seat just across from him. Shinji sighed as he took the offered seat. "Thanks."

"Like I said, what can I do for you, Captain?" Shigeru asked once more as he saw Shinji just sitting there, obviously very uncomfortable.

"Please, just call me 'Shinji' ," the younger man stammered, at which Shigeru shook his head violently.

"Sorry, sir, no can do! You outrank me, and are my commanding officer, so such familiarity would be inappropriate!" Shigeru spat out, trying to keep his anger in check, "I wouldn't want to jeopardize my career in that fashion."

"Okay," Shinji sighed, looking down to the table top before looking back up once more to look Shigeru in the eye, "Well, I just came by to say…I want to apologize for the other day. I didn't mean to come off so harsh, and I really didn't mean to come down so hard on you, Lieutenant." Shigeru's eyes bulged as his jaw hit the table. He just shook his head.

"You don't have to apologize, you are my superior officer and…" Shigeru said, shocked by what Shinji was saying, confusion running rampant within his mind when the young man interrupted him.

"Lieutenant Aoba, I'm sorry," Shinji said softly as he continued to look at the table. Shigeru's shock continued to leave him stunned for several seconds before anger welled back up and was released.

"Shinji, just what the hell happened to you?!" the older man whispered to keep everyone else within the cafeteria from turning toward the pair. "I mean, one day you come in and you're the nice quiet guy you usually are, and the next day you're Captain Hardass! Man, that just doesn't make any sense! What the hell is the thing with the forced DNA testing? What the hell is going on around here?" Shinji sighed once more before looking Shigeru square in the eye

"Do you remember the Commander saying something about Asuka, and about something happening to her?" Shinji reminded him, as the fire started to blaze within his eyes once more. Shigeru shivered slightly at the sight. "Has anyone told you what has happened?"

"I remember. There are rumors going around about her, and you, but nothing concrete," the long haired man said softly, like he was afraid to be caught listening to rumors.

"What have you heard?"" asked Shinji, the fire still ablaze within his blue eyes. Thinking about what had happened to his love continued to anger him, and the thought of what kind of rumors were going around was beginning to trouble him greatly.

"Well, the biggest one we've heard so far is that the two of you are getting married, and that is was forced by the Commander as some sort experiment," Shigeru said, looking around somewhat, " One said that the Second Child is sick, and the tests are to look for organ donors of some sort. Some even say that they are going to use our DNA to fertilize eggs donated by Asuka to create an army of some sort. Silly shit like that. No one really knows what is going on." Shinji's face took on a bemused look at what he had just heard, then became deathly serious. "I think that someone beat the hell out of her and left some DNA evidence behind, and they are going to use a dragnet to catch them."

"The first rumor is half true, Asuka and I are getting married, but my father has nothing to do with it," Shinji said softly, yet in a powerful voice, "Asuka's pregnant."

"WHAT?!" Shigeru yelped, before quieting down once more as several heads turned back to their direction. "Dude, you and Asuka are having a kid? Man, you got more balls than I gave you credit for! Uh…oh…wait a second…"

"Now I think you understand," Shinji said through clenched teeth, seeing the color drain from Shigeru's face, "Unfortunately, I'm not the biological father. We don't know who the father is, thus the DNA testing."

"Oh man," Shigeru stammered, "was she raped? Man, I am so sorry, Shinji!"

"We don't know right now. Asuka doesn't remember anything about it, whatsoever. It happened sometime around Misato's Christmas party, so we're going with the theory that someone took advantage of her during the celebration.," Shinji said sadly, his chest hurting at the thought of his lady being hurt so badly. "We didn't know anything happened until she went to the doctor a month ago, and they gave her the news."

"That explains why you got so riled up! You always had it bad for that girl," Shigeru said, drawing a look from Shinji. "Come on, man, there was no way in the world you could hide it!" Shinji grinned a bit before responding.

"Yeah, I guess so!," Shinji said wryly as he shook his head. "Amazing how everyone but the two of us saw it !" This drew a chuckle from the older man.

"We knew she had a thing for you, as well. Shoot, we even had a pool going to see how long it would be before you two finally admitted it and started going out! I need to check on the pool and see who won," he said, laughing it up. Shinji's face turned red, but covered it up quickly.

"Just remember, I want a cut of the pot, seeing how I'm the one who just provided the answer to the question!" Shinji laughed as he stood to leave, before Shigeru spoke up.

"I appreciate the apology, Shinji," Shigeru said as he looked up to the younger man, "I understand why you were upset. Just don't think it's going to make me take it easy on you, though." Shinji cocked his head somewhat, a questioning look on his face.

"You didn't get the memo?" Shigeru asked the bewildered Captain, who just shook his head. "That's weird, I gave it to Major Katsuragi's assistant to give to you yesterday. Well, the Commander has ordered me to start your physical training as soon as school is out. Trust me, I'm gonna put you through the wringer! I'm not going to allow anyone to outrank me who can't kick my ass, if I have anything to say about it!" he smiled at the look on Shinji's face, as the younger man went pale at the idea.

"I wonder why the hell the Old Man came up with that?" Shinji mused, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.

"Don't know, something about helping you carry out your duties. I'll see what I can do about getting you copy…" Shigeru added before being interrupted by a young female voice.

"Captain! Captain Ikari!" Mariko Toranaga called out as she practically skipped toward Shinji with several files in her hand. The smile on her face was one of utter delight.

"Oh, hello Mariko," Shinji said as Shigeru's jaw dropped at the sight of the young lady, "What can I do for you?"

"_I know what I'd like to do for her,_" Shigeru thought as he gazed up at the raven haired beauty, who continued to ignore him for Shinji.

"I just came by to let you know…uh," she said as her face fell a bit as she looked at Shinji and Shigeru by the table, "did I interrupt your dinner or anything?" Shinji was puzzled by her behavior.

"Huh? Oh, no, the Lieutenant and I were just talking," Shinji said as she took another step forward and gazed up into Shinji's eyes, her expression brightening once more. "Uh…have you two met? Mariko Toranaga, this is Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba. Shigeru, this is Mariko, Major Katsuragi's assistant."

"Pleased to meet you, Mariko," Shigeru stood up as Shinji took a discreet step back while Mariko's head was turned. Mariko gave Shigeru a look like he was something she just scraped off her shoe.

"Huh? Oh. Hello," she said indifferently as she turned back to face Shinji once more, becoming all bubbly once more.

"_Ouch,_" Shigeru thought sadly as he sat back down at the table, _"That was cold!"_

" So, have you eaten dinner yet, Captain?" the young girl asked as she stepped toward Shinji once more. Shinji went a little pale and wished he had an AT field he could erect at that instant.

"Uh, not yet. I probably will when I get home. So, what did you need?" he asked, hoping she would get to the point. He was looking forward to getting home and spending some time with Asuka. He was wanting to do something special for her tomorrow before they got bogged down with wedding plans for the rest of the weekend.

"Oh, I just came by to tell you I left some files on your desk you need to look at before you go home! So, got any plans for the weekend?" she asked while she batted her eyelashes at him. Shigeru just rolled his eyes and cursed his luck.

"Yeah," Shinji answered slowly, trying to keep his face a neutral as possible, "I planning on spending sometime with my family." Mariko's face fell slightly. "Lieutenant Aoba, got any plans for the weekend?"

"Nope, not a one, Captain!" Shigeru piped up as he stood once more, a silly grin on his face.

"Oh. That's nice," Mariko said rather coolly back to the long-haired man, then turned back to Shinji. "Well, have fun on your weekend, Captain!" she perked up again as she waltzed off, the spring in her step not quite as pronounced as before. Shigeru stared back after her before turning his attention back to Shinji.

"What the hell was that about?" Shinji asked as he shook his head in confusion. Shigeru's jaw dropped at the tone in Shinji's voice.

"Damn dude, I didn't think you were that dense!" Shigeru said as he sat back down and picked up his tea and began to drink it, "That girl was so totally flirting with you! Damn!" he muttered as shook his head once more. "Marrying a hot-as-hell redhead, and being chased by a really cute chick at work! Some guys have all the luck!"

"I think you're imagining things, man," Shinji said off-handedly. "She's just happy I saved her job." Despite what Shigeru thought, Shinji wasn't that dense. He knew what Mariko was doing and it was troubling him to no end. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had no feelings for her at whatsoever.

"Whatever, dude," the older man mumbled as he stared at his tea.

"So, are we good, Lieutenant?" Shinji asked sincerely. He really hated getting on people's bad sides and leaving things unsaid. Shigeru just grunted and looked up to Shinji with a wry half grin.

"Yeah, we're good, Shinji," Shigeru replied as he looked at the young pilot in a new light. _"After all, how many guys would do what he's planning on doing?"_ he thought, feeling just a little shamed at his reaction to the previous events.

After waving good-bye to Shigeru, Shinji walked to his office and saw sitting upon his desk a large bento box. Grunting, he shook his head as he reached for the note sitting on top, hoping that it wasn't from who he was afraid it was.

_"Dear Shinji,"_ it read in a flowing script,_ " I made this for you to help thank you for everything you have done for me. I hope you enjoy it, and think of me while you eat. If there is anything that you need or want to talk about, feel free to call me any time! Thanks! Mariko."_

"Damn," Shinji muttered to himself as he sat at his desk, staring at the meal in front of him. _" Well, that explains why she wanted to know if I had eaten dinner. That was nice of her,"_ he thought, _" but this is a little inappropriate. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I don't want this to go any further than it already has!"_

With that last thought, he picked up the bento and emptied it's contents into the trash can before sitting it in the corner of his office to return to her later. He picked up the reports Mariko had placed on his desk under the bento and read through them quickly, discovering the missing memo Shigeru had spoken of earlier. Sure enough, his father had ordered him to begin physical training as soon as school ends for summer break.

"Figures," he said to himself before picking up an envelope that was under everything else Mariko had placed on his desk. Sighing, he ripped it open and was ready for another letter from the love-struck girl when he stopped. He recognized the sloppy kanji on the page. It was Asuka's handwriting.

"_Hey Shinji,"_ the note read,_ " Guess who? Do me a favor and look in your desk drawer!"_ A smile crept over Shinji's face as he thought about his lady.

"_ I wonder what she's up to?"_ he pondered as he pulled open the top most drawer of his desk and found another envelope. _"I didn't even know she was coming to headquarters today. I wonder why she didn't stop to say 'hello'?"_ Opening the envelope, he broke out in a laugh as he read it's contents.

"_Other drawer, silly!"_ it read as Shinji got himself under control long enough to open the larger drawer in his desk. Inside was yet another envelope, along with a small white box with a red bow on top.

"_Well, you made it!"_ it said as the young Captain just shook his head and smiled, "_I just wrote to tell you how much I love you and how much I miss you! Hurry up and come home! Your future wife and child await to give you giant sized hugs and kisses when you come in! Heidi and I are making a special dinner tonight, so hurry up and come home! I left a little something for you in the box! Enjoy! Love, Asuka."_

Shinji chuckled and felt his heart swell as he read the note. Lifting the lid from the box, he looked inside and saw a new SDAT player, along with a few classical tapes inside he had been eyeing recently at his favorite music store. He pulled it out and admired it, until something else inside made him put it down and stop still.

With trembling hands, he reached inside and pulled out a flat piece of paper. The paper was a three-dimensional ultrasound image of a tiny little baby. A single tear slid down Shinji's cheek as he read the words written on the bottom of the photo.

_" Here's our baby, Shinji! Say 'hi' to your Daddy, little one!"_

A lump formed in Shinji's throat as he smiled and gently touched the small face in the photo. Carefully folding the photo, he pulled is wallet out and placed it inside, then returned his wallet to his flight suit. Packing up the notes, tapes and player up in the box, he quickly left his office, pulled the door closed, and walked down the hall as fast as possible. He had a dinner with his family waiting, and nothing was going to slow him down.

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_Friday Evening._

"I'm home…OOOF!!" Shinji said as he walked into the apartment and was immediately attacked by a red-headed missile, who proceeded to wrap him up in a killer hug.

"Hi!" Asuka said sweetly as she gazed up into his steel blue eyes. A smile spread itself over Shinji's face as his heart warmed at her touch.

"Hi yourself!" he replied as he bent his head down and gave her a quick kiss. She melted at the touch of his lips.

"Missed you," she said as she increased the strength of the hug. All Shinji could do was laugh.

"I would have never guessed!" he chuckled as she playfully slapped his arm, "I missed you, too!" With that, he gave her yet another kiss, this one deep, long, and toe-curling. Asuka felt like she had just turned into a large ball of putty, ready to be shaped into whatever Shinji desired. All Shinji desired was her.

"All right, you two! Break it up! I don't think the air-conditioning can take the strain of keeping this place cool at this rate!" Misato ordered teasingly as she walked through with her cup of tea and went to sit in the living room, a rather silly grin plastered on her face.

"Meanie!" Asuka shot back as she stuck her tongue out at her guardian before turning back to Shinji. "So! Ya like the present?" she asked, smiling warmly at her fiancé.

"Yes, I did! Thank you!" Shinji replied, "Which reminds me…" With that he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Asuka's waist and placed his cheek to her belly.

"Thank you, too, little one," he whispered as he snuggled to the belly, " Daddy loves you, you know that?" Asuka's eyes started to tear up as she ran her fingers through his hair, holding him close.

"Aww, isn't that cute?" Heidi's voice called out as she watched the young couple from the kitchen where she and Asuka had been making dinner. The two of them had retreated to the kitchen as soon as they had come home from the doctor's office and the grocery store that day. "I thought you had already proposed, Shinji? Why are you on your knees?"

"Oh, hush up, Auntie!" Asuka smirked as Shinji released his grip on her waist and stood back up, shaking his head with the same silly grin on his face. "Go to the living room and relax, baby. I'll bring you a soda in a sec." Shinji's eyes shot up at this, but knew better than to question Asuka and did exactly as he was told. He tromped off into the living room and took a seat next to Misato.

"Hey, what's up, kiddo?" Misato asked as she sipped her tea. Shinji noticed that her hand was trembling ever so slightly, and her skin tone wasn't as healthy as it normally was. He thought back to what Dr. Akagi had told him days ago and wondered if he needed to start worrying.

"Asuka chased me off and told me to sit, so I'm sitting." Shinji replied with a wry grin as he propped his feet up on the coffee table. Misato smiled into her teacup until she noticed a small crease of worry on his brow.

"What's wrong, Shinji?" she asked. Misato had known the young man long enough to know when something was bothering him.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, Misato," Shinji replied, quickly trying to cover up anything he may have let slip.

"Bullshit," Misato replied, "I know you better than that! What's wrong?" she cocked an eyebrow while Shinji quickly came up with something other than what he was thinking about.

"I'll tell you in a second," he mouthed as Asuka walked into the room and handed him his drink. "Thanks, hon!" She flashed him a killer smile.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I'll give you a call when it's done!" the young redhead replied as she turned back to the kitchen and put an extra wiggle in her step, knowing that Shinji was going to watch her the whole way back. She wouldn't have been disappointed in his reaction. He sat there, slack-jawed and totally zoned out.

"Yoo-hoo! Earth to Shinji! Is anyone there?" Misato asked as she waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of the spell that the young German had cast.

"Huh?" Shinji asked as he shook his head to cast aside the cobwebs and perverted thoughts that had been flitting around. He turned to see Misato sitting there with a rather malicious grin on her face. _"Aw crap! More teasing fodder!"_ he thought.

"You were going to say something before the Redheaded Goddess interrupted?" Misato teased, causing Shinji to blush._ "He is still too easy to tease!"_

"Uh, well…" Shinji started as he told Misato about what was going on with Mariko. When he finished, Misato's face became a mask of concern.

"So, do you think I should talk to her?" Misato wondered as she and the young man tried to figure out what to do.

"Probably, I just don't want Asuka to find out!" Shinji whispered, fearing the young German's hearing may have improved with her condition.

"Dinner's ready!" Asuka's voice cried out, causing Shinji to almost jump out of his skin.

"Yeah, we don't need a murder investigation interfering with your wedding," Misato teased as she and Shinji stood up to head for the kitchen.

Dinner had been a virtual feast, as Shinji sat back and loosened his belt. It had been a very long time since they had a spread like that for dinner. He looked round and was pleased to see that everyone else looked just as miserable as he felt. There was still a huge amount of food left on the table, including the freshly steamed vegetables they had made for Rei, who promptly bowed out and staggered back to her apartment next door.

Shinji smiled as he thought about just how far his sister had come since he had first met her. Even after moving her next door, it took a ton of prodding and threats from Asuka and Misato to convince her to come over and eat dinner with them every night. She finally understood that she was as much a part of their weird little family as everyone else. He laughed at the memory of her begging off another plateful of food as Heidi insisted on filling her plate, commenting on how small she was and how she really needed to get some meat on her bones if she wanted to attract guys. Rei had turned so many shades of red at that comment that she looked as if she had spent 7 days out in the desert sun. His complemplation was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone, which he promptly got up to answer as was the custom in the house.

"Asuka? It's for you," he called out as the love of his life came running to him and gave him a quick kiss before mouthing 'Thank you' and proceeded to carry on a conversation in German as he sauntered back to the table to try and relax. Just the effort to move after such a meal was an exquisite agony. Several minutes later, a very pale and shaken Asuka shuffled back to the kitchen, her eyes glazed and reminding Shinji entirely too much of the time just before she suffered her breakdown and fell into a coma.

"Asuka? What's wrong?" Shinji asked with some urgency as he stood to stand by her side. She was scaring him rather badly, not to mention her aunt and guardian as well.

"I…I can't believe it," she whispered to no one in particular, "It's horrible… I can't …" With those last words, her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed on the spot.

"Asuka!!" Shinji yelled as he reached out and caught his lady before she could hit the floor. Slowly and gently, he fell to his knees and held her close, trying to keep calm and failing to do so miserably. "Asuka? Wake up! What's wrong? Misato!!!"

"Oh God!" Misato muttered as she flipped open her cellphone and barked a series of orders into it before she went over and knelt beside Heidi, who was patting Asuka's hand, then turned her wrist over to take her pulse.

"She has a pulse, but she's shocky," Heidi said as she felt her niece's forehead and found it cold and clammy. "Shinji! Lay her down and get some pillows and blankets. We need to elevate her legs and keep her warm."

"NO! I'm not leaving her!" Shinji growled as he held Asuka tighter. The fire in his eyes was met by the equally intense coldness of Heidi's stare.

"Shinji, she's going into shock. We need to get stabilized as soon as possible. I need you to do as I say so we can help her!"

"But…" Shinji stammered, looking down at the fragile girl he was holding. He didn't know what to do, and that was driving him crazy.

"Goddamn it, Captain! Get off your _verdampt_ ass and do as I say! Move it, boy!!" Heidi barked, going into full blown military mode, causing Shinji to jump. He gently laid Asuka on the ground and ran to do as Heidi had commanded.

"Sometimes, being ex-military comes in handy," Heidi said to Misato as she quickly checked up on Asuka. Paramedics appeared at the door as soon Shinji came back with the blankets and pillows and hurried to load the Second Child up on the stretcher and rush her down to the ambulance.

Much to everyone's delight, Asuka awoke when she was placed in the ambulance. After insisting that she was okay, and threatening to kick Shinji's ass if he didn't stop insisting that she go to the hospital, the medics did a final check on her vital signs and took her back upstairs to rest. After several tense minutes, Asuka finally told everyone what had happened.

"It…it was a phone call from Papa," Asuka stammered, clearly upset, "He told me that he had heard some disturbing news, and said he was coming to Japan to check up on me." Everyone's eyes shot open at that announcement.

"Okay, so Erik is coming. We need to figure out what we need to tell him when he gets here. Better yet, we need to see if we can keep him from coming in the first place," Heidi said,obviously not looking forward to seeing her former brother-in-law. "Did he say when he plans on getting here, Asuka?"

"Uh, yeah" Asuka said softly. She wasn't looking forward to seeing her father or step-mother, not like this. "They're on the plane right now. They'll be here tomorrow afternoon!"

"WHAT?!" bellowed three voices, just as Rei walked in to see what the commotion was about. She promptly spun on her heel to leave, feeling like she had been rudely dismissed by her family before Misato grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in, letting her in on what had just happened. Plans had to be made, and nobody was going to be left out.

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"Shinji?" a rather sleepy redhead asked as she raised her head from his chest and looked into his eyes. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," he said as he kissed her on the forehead, causing her to coo with content. That sent a shiver up the young man's spine. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

" S'okay," she murmured as she lay her head back down in his chest. "I'm sorry I scared all of you this evening. It was a bit of a shock, you know?" Shinji smiled as he ran his fingers over her long red tresses.

"I know, hon," he replied as he felt he snuggle closer to him. He felt a slight dampness on his chest and heard a small sniffle.

"I'm scared," she said softly, causing Shinji to snuggle back deeper in the bed and wrap his arms around her tighter to comfort her. For someone like Asuka to admit she was frightened really threw Shinji. She was the strongest person he had ever known despite everything that had happened to her. He would lend her his strength to help her through all this.

"Shh, it's going to be alright. Just relax and go back to sleep. We'll deal with everything tomorrow," Shinji said soothingly, causing Asuka to snuggle back down and fall once more to sleep, secure in the arms of her champion and husband-to-be. Shinji watched her for several minutes before following her to the Land of Dreams, hoping beyond hope his words would come true.

End of Chapter 4.


	5. Chapter 5

-1Father

Part Five

"_Scheisse!"_ Asuka screamed as she ran around the apartment, making sure each and everything was perfect. She hadn't seen her father in years, and she wanted to make sure everything met with his approval. She was so scared that he already knew what had happened to her, and she was afraid at what he might do. She really didn't want to be dragged back to Germany kicking and screaming, as if Shinji would allow that.

"Asuka! Language!" Heidi barked as she sat back on the sofa, a fresh cup of coffee in her hand. She knew that everything was a good as it was going to get, and she equally knew that would have no effect on Erik Soryu whatsoever. He could be a bit of a hard-ass if he had his mind set on a certain path, but she also knew that he had yet come head-to-head with the berserker known as Shinji Ikari.

"Yes ma'am!" Asuka called back as she made one more round of the apartment before she walked into a wall named Shinji. "What?!" she asked, exasperated.

"Asuka, will you calm down and come over to the couch, please? This isn't doing either one of you any good, you know?" he said as he took her hands, which calmed her almost immediately. Shinji lead her to the couch and sat her between himself and Heidi, holding her hand the entire time to keep her calm.

"This is driving me nuts!" she grumbled, but remained seated as she felt as if impending doom was getting closer and closer. Rei stood up from the chair she had been seated in, walked over and knelt down before the frightened redhead.

"Asuka, what is wrong? Should you not be happy to see your father, especially after so long a time?" Rei asked, crimson eyes meeting blue in a hope for understanding. "I would understand if he is like Shinji's, but you have never really spoken about him before." Shinji coughed a bit and gave his fiancée a quick wink. Asuka had told him the story the previous summer, but he had kept his word and never spoken of it to anyone, even his sister.

"It's kind of a long story, Rei. I promise, if I survive this, Shinji and I will sit down with you and tell you all about it," Asuka replied as Rei turned and looked at her brother, a cross look on her face for holding something back from her. Shinji shrugged and started to mumble an apology, but was stopped by a squeeze on his hand from Asuka.

"Rei, please don't get mad at Shinji, I asked him not to tell anyone. I told him all this last year before we all started getting closer as friends. Okay?" Rei's expression softened as she nodded, but still shot her brother a dirty look as she stood once more to take her seat. She knew that Misato would be back fairly soon with Asuka's parents, and she wanted to be here to support her brother and her friend.

"So, Heidi," Shinji said, breaking the nervous silence that had suddenly blanketed the apartment, "What kind of man is Mr. Soryu? Is he fairly easy to get along with?"

"Uh, Erik is an…_interesting_…person to get to know," Heidi started, trying to find the words to describe Asuka's father without outright badmouthing the man. She and Erik had never gotten along when her sister had married him, and it was Heidi that had discovered that Erik had been having an affair with Kyoko's doctor while her sister was in the hospital. She still had her doubts about her sister's apparent suicide, and Erik and his wife's possible involvement. "Trust me, Shinji, you'll get to know him rather soon!"

"We're home!" Misato's voice called out as she slid the door open. Asuka went deathly white as she and everyone else in the apartment jumped to their feet and stood, waiting for Misato to escort the German couple into the living room. Shinji reached over and took Asuka's hand once more to calm her fears. Asuka shot him a sad little smile and mouthed 'I love you' as she turned to greet her parents.

"Hello, Papa!" Asuka greeted her father as soon as he entered the living room, as she rushed over to wrap him in a hug, but was stopped short by the look he gave her. Her eyes widened as she saw something in his eye that she had no desire to see whatsoever: disappointment.

"Asuka," he said mechanically, as he nodded to her before stepping aside and allowing his wife to enter the room beside him, with Misato right on her heels. His eyes swept the room before they locked onto the other redhead in the room. "Heidi. I might have known."

"It's good to see you again, Erik," Heidi said sarcastically, taking note of his attitude and the tone of his voice. He was exactly as she remembered: medium build and height, dark hair with a rapidly receding hairline, and with the same look and air of superiority that had bothered her for years. It always felt as if Erik had always looked down his nose at everyone he had ever met, even those he claimed to be close to. His wife had the same feeling about her, one that drove Heidi crazy since the first time she had met her as Kyoko's doctor, then later when she discovered the affair between the doctor and the supposed caring husband. "You as well, Sonya."

"Nice to see that things haven't changed much, Heidi," Dr. Sonya Soryu retorted with a sniff, "Still the same…_free spirit_…as before. Shame, really." Heidi clinched her fist as she tried to keep her emotions in check. She was here for Asuka, not to start a fight with a stuck-up tramp.

"Uh… Papa, let me introduce you to everyone. You already know Aunt Heidi," Asuka said as Erik snorted and crossed his arms, " This is Rei Ayanami, pilot of Unit 00..."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Rei said softly as she bowed to the older couple, who took no notice of her. Rei looked slightly hurt at being ignored so, which angered Asuka and Shinji. They both did their best to suppress it, seeing to the delicate nature of the meeting.

"And this is Shinji Ikari, Pilot of Unit 01," Asuka continued as she walked over to stand beside Shinji, who extended his hand in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Shinji said with sincerity, while Erik looked at Shinji's hand as if it were something distasteful, before he finally took it and gave a quick but firm handshake.

"Ikari? As in Gendo Ikari?" Asuka's father asked, his face looking as if he had just eaten a barrel of lemons. He didn't like how close his daughter was standing to the young man, especially after the rumors he had heard back at the German branch of NERV.

"Yes sir, he is my…father," Shinji affirmed. Erik looked visibly shaken, now he really didn't like the fact his daughter stood so close to the younger Ikari. Asuka seemed to shrink at the intensity of her father's stare. A grimace formed on her father's mouth, but before he could speak, Misato spoke up.

"Would everyone like some tea?" she asked, getting an affirmative from everyone but the Soryus. Erik shook his head violently before turning to his wife.

"Well, is it true?" he asked his wife, who had been studying Asuka closely the entire time they had stood there. She nodded.

"From what I can see, it is. She's still in her first trimester, so termination shouldn't be a problem," Dr. Soryu added in a cold, clinical tone. Everyone froze.

"Mr. Soryu…" Misato started before being rudely cut off by Asuka's father.

"Forgive me for being a poor guest, _Major_," Erik spat as he whirled to face Misato, "But I don't have time for such nonsense! I have received some disturbing news, and I have come here to discover just what is going on and to fix the situation." He spun back to Asuka, who was still pale as death.

"What…what is it, Papa?" Asuka asked in a scared little girl's voice. That didn't effect her father whatsoever, as his scowl grew deeper and fire flared in his eyes.

" I have heard from my sources that you are pregnant, Asuka. Is this true?" he barked, causing the hackles to rise on the back of Shinji's neck. Asuka felt his tension and squeezed his hand gently, calming him slightly. This did not go un-noticed by Dr. Soryu.

"Erik!" Heidi barked back, ready to tear him to shreds at yelling at his daughter, especially in her condition.

"Shut your mouth, Heidi!" Dr. Soryu screeched, "This has nothing to do with you! If anything, it's probably your attitude that has caused this in the first place!" Heidi gasped and was ready to pummel Asuka's stepmother before Erik cut her off.

"Well, Asuka? I'm waiting!" Erik growled as he crossed his arms once more and stood over Asuka, allowing his superior height to dominate the young German, making her feel ever so small before her father.

"Yes sir, it's true," Asuka said sadly as she used her free hand to reach over and rub her slightly bulging belly. Her father snorted in disgust before turning to Misato.

"Just what the hell kind of guardian are you, to allow my daughter to go out and make a slut of herself?!" he yelled into Misato's face, causing a collective gasp to resonate throughout the room. Tears formed in Asuka's eyes at what her father had just said, as Shinji wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. Erik spun back around and quickly pulled Asuka from Shinji's grasp and held her tightly by the arm, causing her to cry out. This was almost beyond what Shinji could stand.

"You! Another fucking Ikari! You're just like your father, aren't you?!" Erik spat in the younger man's face, "Are you the father? You must be! All you damn Ikari's just take whatever the hell you want to and don't give a damn about anyone else!"

"Papa! No!" Asuka yelled, tears streaming down her face, both in physical and emotional pain, "Shinji's not the father! He's my fiancé!" Erik turned back to her in shock, the grip on her arm tightening even further. Everyone else in the room just stood in shock at how fast and how badly events had just turned in the home.

"What? Your fiancé?" Asuka's stepmother asked, "That isn't possible, you are too young to marry without parental permission! And that is something we shall not give!"

"Just who the hell is the father?" Erik screamed while Asuka gave him a quick run down on what had happened. Rather than become sympathetic to his daughter's plight, Erik got even more angry. "So, you turned out to be as much of a slut and a tramp as your mother and your aunt!"

"Papa! No! I'm a good girl!" Asuka bawled, tears flowing faster than a waterfall, "We don't know what happened!" Her stepmother walked up to her and stood nose-to-nose with her.

"All the more reason to terminate the pregnancy!" Dr. Soryu said through gritted teeth. "We don't need an unwed mother and a bastard to tarnish the Soryu name! It is the best option for everyone!" At this, Shinji's vision was beginning to go red at the edges, as he did everything he could to keep the beast from being unleashed.

"Papa! No! You can't kill my baby!" Asuka begged as she did her best to break free from her father's grasp. Erik merely snarled, as he pulled her closer to his face.

"Shut the hell up, you little bitch! You have no say in this at all! Get ready to pack your shit up, because you're coming home to Germany with us immediately! I'll not have any little bastards running around in this family, do you understand that?" he snarled. Shinji's vision was now almost completely red, as Rei glanced over and saw how violently her brother was trembling.

"Shinji?" Asuka begged as she looked around her father to see the internal struggle her fiancé was fighting. She knew that all hell was about to break loose. Erik turned to look back at the young Ikari, rage contorting his features as his daughter looked on with fear and hope.

"We are to be married next week," Shinji said through clenched teeth, "now kindly remove your hands from my lady at this time." The intensity in Shinji's voice was lost on the older couple, but not to the other people in the room. Rei's eyes widened as she took a small step toward her brother.

"There is no way I'm going to allow my daughter to marry a fucking Ikari!" Erik growled as he nodded to his wife, who reached into her purse. " Now, go get packed, you little whore!" Erik pushed his daughter in the direction of the bedrooms, and did so with enough force that she was thrown across the room and slammed against the wall. Asuka's eyes rolled back into her head as she slid down the wall into crumpled heap. That was the biggest mistake of Erik's life.

A gunshot rang out, followed quickly by a sharp yell. Erik spun in the direction of the noise to see his wife sprawled back over the back of the couch, obviously unconscious. Within the space of a heartbeat, Erik felt a horrible pressure in his throat and was slammed violently to the ground as the pressure increased. Gagging, Erik looked up to see the face that could send Angels screaming for mercy. He had come face-to-face with the Berserker.

"That was the worst thing you could have ever done," growled a voice that was nowhere near human, but that of an animal defending it's mate. "Say goodbye, bastard!" Erik merely gurgled as his face turned the most interesting shade of red that was quickly heading into a rather nice tone of purple, when Shinji heard a voice calling to him from a far distance, even though it as right behind his ear.

"Shinji, do not do it, you must let him go!" Rei pleaded as she wrapped her hands around his arms to try to save the German's life. Shinji would not budge, no matter how hard she tried.

"He hurt Asuka, Rei! Go check on her, please!" Shinji seethed as he continued to pour his strength through his arm to his hand, doing his best to crush the older man's throat. Rei realized that nothing she could do would stop Shinji, and only one person on the planet had that kind of power. Unfortunately, she was currently unconscious and being tended by her aunt. Rei looked at the rage on her brother's face and decided she needed to get Asuka awake as quickly as possible. She ran over to help Heidi see to Asuka.

"Shinji, you need to let him go," Misato said very calmly but intensely, using all the power of her command presence to end the situation. Unfortunately, that was like an air rifle trying to sink an aircraft carrier, and just as effective. Shinji merely shrugged off the suggestion like it was an annoying fly.

"He can go to Hell, Misato! I'll send him there shortly!" he growled as he turned his head to look at his guardian. He noticed that she had her pistol out, and instead of pointing it at him, she had it pointed at Asuka's stepmother. Dr. Soryu looked horrible, as a huge purple welt started to rise on her cheek, and blood poured down her chin from her split lip. The handgun she had pulled from her purse was still laying on the carpet next to Misato's feet, smoke pouring from the barrel. His eyes squinted in anger at the thought of someone coming into his home and using a firearm to separate him from his love. He turned back to Erik once more, who was just on the verge of passing out.

"How could you do that? To your own flesh and blood? Just what the hell kind of father are you?" Shinji seethed as he stared deep into Erik's soul, finding it dark and bleak. All Erik could do was gurgle as his arms went slack, and his eyes tried to focus on something beyond Shinji. Shinji didn't care what the German saw until he felt a light touch on his arm, a touch that was so familiar and so loving it instantly melted his heart.

"Shinji? Baby? Please don't…don't kill my Papa," Asuka begged as she fell to floor beside him and leaned up against him, doing everything she could to calm the rage. Within a heartbeat, The Berserker vanished, as a very angry, yet frightened, young man took it's place. He looked at horror at what was happening before him. Asuka reached down and took Shinji's hands and slowly lifted them from her father's throat.

With a huge gasp, Erik Soryu caught his breath as he tried to sit up, but was still pinned by the young man who had held his life, literally, in his hands. Asuka grabbed Shinji and the young couple rose as one and stepped away from the fallen man, holding on to each other for dear life. Rei, Heidi, and Misato quickly joined together and stood between the younger couple and the older couple, who were now trying to nurse their wounds.

"Asuka isn't going anywhere she doesn't want to," Misato said, arms crossed and daring the older Germans to try anything. Wheezing, Asuka's father got to his feet and went over to check up on his wife, gently touching the rising purple patch on her cheek. With as much anger as he could muster, he turned back and stared at Shinji.

"How DARE you strike my wife! Leave it to an Ikari to treat his guests in such a fashion!" he snarled, then coughed hoarsely. His wife shook her head, then felt the lump that was rising on the back of her head where it had met the floor on the other side of the couch. She started looking around on the floor for something, until her shoulders fell in dismay at seeing the firearm she had earlier now firmly in the grasp of Major Katsuragi.

"How dare such a 'guest' bring a weapon into my house and brandish it, with CHILDREN present!" Misato shot back as both Soryus realized that they had been caught flatfooted. What really puzzled Dr. Soryu was how in the world she had ended up on the floor and the gun laying several feet away.

"We brought it because we knew you would be unreasonable!" Erik wheezed, still shooting daggers in Shinji's direction. Shinji's eyes met his once more, causing the older man to cringe as he saw the dormant Berserker, lying just below the surface.

"Unreasonable?!" Heidi screeched, her own eyes blazing with a fire that would do Asuka proud, "You come in here, telling everyone that you're going to abort Asuka's baby, call her names , insult your hosts, and then injure your own daughter! How the hell is that reasonable?!" Heidi was about to start in again when Misato walked forward and started pushing The Soryus from the living room, and down the hall toward the door.

"We are not leaving without Asuka!" her father bellowed as best he could as he was shoved out the door, followed quickly by his wife. Misato stood there, arms crossed and barring his way from going back in.

"Papa, I don't want to leave! This is my home!" Asuka pleaded, hoping her father would see reason, " Shinji loves me! He loves our baby! Misato and Rei love me too! I have friends here who care about me! I've never felt so much love and friendship as I have since I got here! I can't give that up! Please, don't you understand? I don't want to be all alone again!" Tears poured down her cheeks as she leaned against Shinji for support. She had never really cared what her father had thought before, but this was so very different. She wanted his blessing, but that was not coming.

"You want to stay here? Fine, you can stay here, you tramp! You are not my daughter anymore! I wash my hands of you! You are no longer a Soryu, do you understand that?" Erik snarled, looking past Misato and seeing what kind of effect it was having on Asuka.

"No! Please! Papa!" the young redhead begged, not knowing why this was so important to her, "Please don't stop being my Papa! Can't you understand how I feel?"

"I don't give a damn how you feel! You have dishonored me and your stepmother with your trashy ways! This is your last chance, Asuka! Either come with me right now, or stay and marry that little bastard, knowing that you'll never be my daughter again! That is your only choice!" her father demanded. Asuka stood next to her fiancé, drawing strength from him, then shook her head.

"No, Papa. You may not want me as…as a daughter anymore, but there are people here that do love me, and do so unconditionally. I'm going to stay he…here," she said, sniffling and doing her best not to break down anymore. "I'm staying here, having my baby, and raising a family with those who love me." With that last statement, she stood tall, her chin held high, and looking like the Asuka of old.

"So be it!" Erik snarled as he felt the hands of Section Two agents clasp him on the shoulder and start to drag him away from the apartment. "This isn't over, you can believe that! Tomorrow, I'm going to the head bastard and setting everything straight! You can go to hell, you little whore!" He and his wife disappeared as they were escorted down the hallway and into the awaiting elevator.

"Why? Why did he have to be that way?" Asuka mumbled as Shinji took her in his arms and lead her back to the couch, where they sat as Heidi came back over to make sure that she was physically okay.

_"The emotional wounds are going to take longer to heal,"_ Heidi mused as she checked Asuka over, then reached over and gave her a huge hug. Asuka broke down and cried loudly into her aunt's shoulder, as Shinji leaned over and completed the hug sandwich. Misato and Rei came over and comforted her for as long as they could before the stress of the night got to her.

Shinji gently helped her up and walked her to the bedroom. Without any embarrassment whatsoever, Shinji helped her get undressed and then into the sleeping shirt he had given her. The whole time, she leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder until he walked her over to the bed. Tucking her in, he knelt next to the bed and looked her in the eyes. Her eyes were full of sadness, but deep below was love, and he knew it was aimed at him. Guilt filled him as he recalled his actions earlier.

"Asuka, I just want to say…I'm sorry for what happened earlier," Shinji said as he reached over and stroked her hair, causing her to make the cooing noises that drove him silly, "I wasn't trying to kill your father, it's just after seeing what he did to you, I kinda…" She silenced him with a finger to the lips.

"Shinji, I know," she replied as she stroked his cheek "It just kinda scared me, is all." He reached up and placed his hand on the one stroking his cheek, basking in the warm glow her touch gave him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled once more, as she gave him a mock glare for apologizing again. Something then drew her eyes to his face.

"Shinji, what happened to your hand?" she asked, as she stared at the long bloody scratch on the back of his hand. He pulled his hand back and looked closely at it before putting it down by his side.

"Must have scratched it somehow," he muttered as he stood from the bed and turned the light out. She smirked at him.

"Well, d'uh!" she answered as she smiled for the first time since her father had arrived. Shinji stuck his tongue out at her before bending down to give her a kiss. "Keep that up, and I'll bite it off!"

"Promises, promises," he said with a grin as he kissed her once more and turned to leave the room. Asuka was asleep before he finished closing the door.

"Well, this was one hell of a night," Shinji muttered as he walked back to the living room and sat back down on the sofa, as Rei and Heidi took seats on either side of him.

"Yeah, it could have gone a little better," Misato added as she sat in the chair that Rei had sat in earlier.

"Why would her father treat her in such a bad fashion?" Rei asked, her crimson eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. She had never really ever shown very much emotion, but this evening's events had pushed her to the limits.

"People like Asuka's father are more worried about appearances and how others think of them rather than the good or welfare of their loved ones," Heidi replied sadly, her blood still boiling over how Erik had treated her niece. Rei tilted her head a bit, still puzzled.

"He was more worried at how people would think of him. He was afraid they would think he was a horrible person for not keeping his daughter from getting pregnant. There are still some places in the world where being an unwed mother is considered taboo," Shinji added, causing a bit of color to rise to Rei's cheeks.

"So, he was mad at something Asuka had no control over because it would make him look bad? How utterly awful!" Rei realized, her voice raising ever so slightly. Shinji and Misato were shocked at how much emotion Rei had just shown, If anyone else would have heard Rei, they would have been surprised at how quietly she was taking it. For those that knew her, they knew that was as good as shouting at the top of her lungs.

"We need to air the room out," Shinji stated as he stood up once more and walked to the balcony door and slid it open. The smell of gunpowder was now very prominent, and it was an odor he didn't want in his home. Looking up toward the ceiling, he saw a small hole that had not been there previously. Once more, he seethed at how someone had walked into his home with a gun and wanted to take Asuka. He clinched his hand into a fist as he tried his best to force the anger back down.

"Shinji, your hand," Rei called out as she walked over to her brother and took his injured hand, which just happened to be the one he was clinching. This is what drew Rei's attention to it.

"It's just a scratch, Rei," Shinji said nonchalantly, cursing himself for drawing attention to it, "It'll be alright."

"Bullshit, Shinji," Heidi replied as she, too, came over to look at the back of his hand. She turned it over as a scowl crossed her face. She noticed the little black spots all around the wound. "Take a look at this, Misato, and let me know what you think!"

"I think," Misato added, "that Shinji is a very lucky guy!" She quickly slapped him on the back of the head and wrapped him up in one of her hugs. "What the hell possessed you to do something like that?"

"Like what?" he asked innocently, but he knew the older ladies were not going to fall for it. Both crossed their arms and cocked an eyebrow at his poor attempt at subterfuge. Rei looked confused once more.

"Those are powder burns, Shinji! That damn bullet grazed your hand when you slapped the gun out of Dr. Soryu's hand!" Misato barked as Shinji cringed, hoping Asuka wouldn't wake up and hear what was going on. Rei reached over and slapped Shinji on the back of his head and glared at him, making him feel worse than he already did.

"Look, I'm sorry! But can we keep it down? I don't need Asuka to hear all this!" he apologized as he rubbed the back of his head, casting a look at his sister. Her crimson eyes stared back at him in reproach. "I saw danger and just reacted! I don't know what happened, okay?"

"Berserker," Rei muttered as she gave her brother a hug, realizing how close she just came to losing him. Shinji sighed in frustration as he returned her hug before Heidi grabbed his hand and lead him to the kitchen to clean up his wound.

"That was a very brave thing you did, Shinji," the redhead whispered to him as she cleaned the wound with alcohol, causing him to wince in pain, "stupid, but brave!"

"I'm sorry," he stammered, his face turning red at both the compliment and rebuke, "it's like I didn't even think about what could happen, I just saw Asuka get hurt and saw a threat to my family. I just reacted." Heidi cracked a smile before shaking her head in amazement.

"I knew you loved Asuka before," she said as she covered his injury with antibiotic ointment and placed a bandage upon that, "but I swear, in all my years in the _Bundeswehr_ and then the NERV security forces, I have _never _seen anyone move like that before! You disarmed Sonya, punched her out of the way, and had Erik pinned to the ground as fast as I could blink! How in the hell did you learn such moves?"

"Piloting EVA, I guess," Shinji shrugged, not to happy with the fact he could perform acts of violence like that without really even thinking, "Some of those Angels could move rather quickly, so I had to learn how to move Unit One faster. I guess it's a lot easier to move fast with my own body, rather than with a fifty-story cyborg." Heidi just shook her head in disbelief as she finished patching him up.

"Well, good job! I guess I shouldn't have to worry about whether or not you can defend Asuka from now on," she replied as she stood up and placed a small kiss on his forehead. "I said it before, and I'll say it again: You're a special guy, Shinji Ikari!" Shinji blushed as he mumbled his thanks and went back to the living room to calm his guardian and sister down before he could retire for the night and look after Asuka. As he walked in, he saw Misato putting the phone down with a worried look on her face.

"Well, Shinji, we have a meeting first thing tomorrow with your…uh…the Commander," Misato stated as she plopped herself down on the sofa, sighing heavily. "Here it was I was looking forward to a quiet Sunday, too!" Shinji grimaced at the look on Misato's face. He really hated it when Misato doesn't get her days off, especially if he's the reason for it.

"I'm sorry, Misato," he apologized as he sat back down himself, feeling deflated. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

"No sweat, Shinji!" she replied, shaking her head in resignation, "To tell you the truth, you showed more restraint than I would have, I would have shot the bastard."

"Should I attend as well, Major?" Rei asked, ready to do her part in protecting her brother and future sister-in-law. Misato rolled her eyes at the sound of her rank. She still had a long way to go to get Rei to act like a real human more often.

"No, that's alright Rei. No reason for all of us to be miserable. The Commander requested Conan over there and myself," Misato replied as she motioned toward Shinji, who turned three shades of red at what she had called him. Heidi came back in with a twinkle in her eye, having heard the last comment.

"I thought he was The Berserker, not The Barbarian," Heidi teased as Shinji's face got hotter and hotter still.

"_Aw crap! Here it comes!"_ he thought as the two older women started revving up the Tease Machine.

"Feh! Berserker, Barbarian, close enough!" Misato added as she got Shinji in a headlock and ruffled up his hair. Rei watched the whole thing with a small smile on her face as Shinji finally extracted himself and leapt off the couch before anything else could happen.

"I'm going to bed before you two can come up with anything else to try to tease me about," he said as he walked over and gave his sister a small kiss on her forehead before heading back to his room. Rei blushed somewhat but felt warm at how her brother treated her.

"Oh, you mean like how you were watching Asuka's butt the other day when she walked back to the kitchen?" Misato queried as he stopped in mid-step and shook his head. He knew that was going to come back to bite him.

"Really? I hadn't heard about that!" Heidi piped in as she saw Shinji's ears turn red, though his back was still to them. The Teasing Twins giggled at his reaction.

_"Time to turn the tables,"_ he thought as he turned around with a small smile on his lips. "Well, I couldn't help it, she was wiggling it just for me. It would have been very rude of me if I didn't stare! Besides, it was just a butt wiggle. With you two here, I guess it could have been much worse!" The shocked looks on their faces was priceless.

"What the hell does that mean?!" they demanded in perfect stereo as Shinji laughed evilly then disappeared down the hall and into his and Asuka's room. They spun in unison as they heard a small giggle coming from Rei as she stood and excused herself for the evening and left for her apartment, leaving a pair of miffed ladies still standing in the room, fuming.

"He's really opened up, hasn't he?" Heidi asked, remembering the insecure and stuttering boy she had gotten to know in the past.

"They all three have," Misato agreed, before she and Heidi both retired to their rooms to get a good night's rest.

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It was about two a.m. when Shinji awoke and got up to answer nature's call and to get a drink of water. Asuka had slept like a log all night, not even stirring when Shinji had climbed into bed several hours ago. That all changed when Shinji got back to the room, as he heard soft sobs coming from the redhead in his bed. Awakening fully in a heartbeat, he crossed the room in a flash and quickly climbed into bed and took the love of his life in his arms and rocked her gently.

"It's alright Asuka," he murmured as he held her close and comforted her as best he could, "I'm here."

"Papa…" she cried, her eyes still closed, though huge tears slipped through. Shinji continued to hold her and whisper to her, occasionally stroking her silky hair. After many minutes, she finally calmed down and relaxed enough to fall back to a restful slumber. Shinji had seen this before, the first time being when they had started living together to train to defeat the Seventh Angel. However, the time he remembered the most was after she had awakened from her coma. It was the first time had had ever held the fiery German known as Asuka…..

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_Early 2016._

A month had passed since Shinji had slain the Seventeenth Angel, and Asuka had finally awakened. While Shinji was ever so slowly overcoming his guilt at having to kill Karou, Asuka wasn't making much progress at all.

Most times, she would just stare off into space, lost in the recesses of her own mind. Nighttime wasn't much better, as more often than not she would wake up screaming in the middle of the night from some terror or another. It tore at Shinji's heart to hear her screams. He knew Asuka hated him, but he still cared for the formerly feisty young German. Most nights, he would bury his head under his pillow, not knowing what to do to help. Eventually, the screaming would stop, followed by much quieter sobs. One night changed all that, though. It occurred in a dream, or so Shinji thought.

_"Hello Shinji," _a strange voice called out to him in his dreamscape.

_"Who…who's there?" _Shinji stammered as he looked around the mist-shrouded landscape before him. Shinji really didn't like this place, all the ground was completely covered with mist, with strange, twisted dark trees sprouting from the middle of nowhere. He felt like he was floating in a strange, dark storm cloud. He shivered violently and did his best to keep from running away.

_"Forgotten me already? How sad…" _the voice called out once more as a figure started to form and stand out from the surrounding mist.

_"Karou?" _Shinji asked as he recognized the gray-haired young man. _"How? I thought you were dead!"_ Relief started to wash over Shinji at the thought his friend was alive and well, even though it was in this twisted landscape.

_"I am," _Karou replied, smiling serenely, _" but I still exist, in a fashion, within your mind." _

_"Mental contamination?!?" _Shinji squawked as he stumbled back away from Karou. The brief relief he had just felt seconds ago abruptly vanished as his fear over took him.

_"No, Shinji. Nothing so crude as that," _Karou continued. _"I respect and care for you too much to do anything like that. As an Angel, I have certain abilities that you Lilim do not. I am merely the shadow of the Karou that you knew in life. Through me, Karou can speak to you briefly, even though he no longer resides on the physical plane." _Understanding seemed to briefly flash through Shinji's mind.

_"So, you're not invading my mind, like the Fifteenth did to Asuka?" _Shinji asked, praying that the answer would be a good one. He wasn't disappointed.

_"No. In fact, the only reason we can truly speak now is that I can feel your pain and heartache even from here. I have come back briefly this one time to do what I can to help." _Karou replied as he stopped before Shinji. _"So, tell me, what causes you such pain?"_

_"Simpler question might be what doesn't," _Shinji mumbled as he shook his head and stared down a his feet, watching the swirling mist envelope them.

_"Indeed. Let me guess: you feel guilty over my death?"_ Karou replied with a sad smile. Shinji nodded ever so slightly.

_"Yeah. I should have died, not you," _Shinji stated as tears started to fall, turning to wisps as they caused the mists to rise up to his knees_. "You were a much better person than I am." _The Angel shook it's head sadly.

_"Shinji, I wasn't a person. I'm an Angel, as you Lilim call us. I chose the manner of my death. Sparing me would have cost the lives of everyone you hold dear. It would have destroyed humanity." _Karou placed his hand on Shinji's shoulder, causing the young man to look up into his bright red eyes. _"You did the right thing. I asked you to destroy me, remember?"_

_"Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't make it any easier." _Shinji mumbled as the mists seemed to retreat somewhat. _"I'm sorry."_

_"There's nothing to be sorry about, Shinji! You were my only true friend, and knowing you brightened my existence." _Karou answered as light began to radiated about his form. "_In truth, killing me was probably the kindest thing you could have ever done for me, Shinji. Being stuck in that mortal shell was extremely painful, I don't see how you Lilim are able to stand it." _

_"Some of us can't," _Shinji sighed as an image of Asuka flashed before him. Karou was quick to notice this, even as the amount of mist started to increase once more.

_"You care for her very deeply, don't you?" _Karou asked, a serene smile once more upon his face.

_"Yeah, I always have. I can't help it, but it's of no use. She hates me."_ Shinji replied sadly, his heart aching more now than ever before. The pain tore through Karou like a knife.

_"Are you so sure?" _Karou asked, as images of Asuka started flittering before him. Each and every one of them were either insulting or striking Shinji. The loudest one was of her screaming that she hated him. The mists closed up even faster and thicker.

_"See what I mean?" _Shinji asked sadly, tears once more threatening to fall from his blue eyes. Eyes that no longer shined with life, but were dulled with despair.

_"Sorry to tell you this, Shinji, but you have it all wrong!" _Karou said as he circled through all the Asukas in Shinji's mind_. "Asuka really likes you, the only person she really hates is herself. She hates herself for her perceived weakness, and she hates herself for the way she treats others, especially you. I can let you have a peek into her mind, if you wish."_

_"NO!!" _Shinji yelled, extremely offended and causing the mists that had surrounded him to disperse. _"I could NEVER do that to Asuka, especially after what has happened to her! That would be the ultimate betrayal!"_

_"I knew you would turn down the offer, Shinji," _Karou replied as he placed his hand once more upon Shinji's shoulder_. "You are too nice of a guy and too good of a friend to do that, and you care for her too much to hurt her like that!" _

_"She hurts so much, Karou, and there is nothing I can do!" _Shinji cried as an image of Asuka fell to the ground, curled up and sobbed uncontrollably.

_"Be there for her, Shinji, just as you always have been," _the gray-haired Angel replied as he gently guided Shinji to the crying girl_. "Go to her. Hold her. Be there for her."_

_"She'll kill me," _replied Shinji, as his steps slowed more and more the closer he got to the sobbing girl. Karou smiled.

_"Could you ask for a more glorious death?" _Karou asked, chuckling a little. The shocked look on Shinji's face was priceless, but it was a manifestation of his fear, and this was something the Angel was trying to overcome.

_"No, she won't kill you. Asuka needs you, Shinji, just as much as your sister needs you, and your guardian needs you. It is time to throw off the shackles of The Coward and allow The Man to stand up, strong and proud," _Karou continued as he lead Shinji the rest of the way. Chains appeared and wrapped themselves around Shinji's ankles just before he reached the young German. With no warning, his feet were yanked out from under him, causing him to land on his face and sprawl out among the mist, which quickly closed over him, shrouding his sight.

_"What the hell?" _he demanded as he rolled over and looked for the source of the chains. Despite the shrouding mists, he stared off into the distance and saw someone holding the other ends. Much to his surprise, it was a copy of himself, pale, violently shaking, and pulling Shinji toward him with inhuman strength. _"What are you doing?"_

_"Saving you from yourself," _stammered back a reply as The Coward continued to drag Shinji further into the mists and further away from Asuka.

_"I have to help Asuka!" _Shinji yelled as he clawed at the ground and tried to dig his heels into the surface. The ground was soft, and any attempt to stop his progress was met with failure.

_"No! She'll only hurt us!" _The Coward screeched back, pulling even harder. Shinji slid even more as he scrambled for some sort of purchase with which to fight the specter before him.

_"That doesn't matter now! I have to help Asuka!" _Shinji growled through gritted teeth as he tried desperately to make his way back to the ever sobbing girl_. "Karou! Help me!"_

_"I cannot, Shinji. This is a battle you must win for yourself," _the albino Angel replied as he looked at Shinji with sad eyes. He stood next to the fallen form of the Second Child, who looked worse and worse.

_"Come on! We have to hide! We must run away!" _The Coward screamed as he pulled with renewed vigor. Asuka's cries became more and more desperate, rending Shinji's heart to shreds.

_"No! Damn it! I…have…to…help…Asuka!" _Shinji growled even louder, punctuating each word with a surge of power as he was finally able to reach down and take hold of the chains surrounding his ankles. He could feel the berserker rage starting to fall upon him, and he was going to use it to the best of his ability.

_"Yes, we do," _replied yet another voice. Shinji turned and saw an idealized version of himself, fully grown, clad in purple and green armour, and riding a pale horse. Dismounting, he walked over to Shinji's side as he, too, took hold of the binding chains. Together, Shinji and The Man gave a mighty tug, sending The Coward flying back toward them.

_"No, no, no, no, no, no," _stammered the Coward, _"You can't make me! They'll only hurt us! We can't stand that!" _He gathered the chains up once more and started to pull, to no avail.

_"Yes, we can," _Shinji and The Man said in unison, "_We may get hurt, or we may not. We have to show openness and compassion if we are to consider ourselves human beings and not beasts of the field."_ With each word, they drew closer and closer to Asuka.

_"NO!!!" _cried The Coward, his eyes wide and desperate.

_"YES!!!!" _Shinji yelled, with a mighty pull. Suddenly, the chains fell from his ankles.

_"Go, Shinji," _The Man said as he held on to the chains, keeping The Coward from fleeing. _"Go now to yon damsel, I shall deal with this lout!" _Shinji looked once more to Asuka, who was now clad in a red medieval gown rather than her plug suit, but was still curled up and sobbing. He ran to her and fell upon his knees. Drawing her up into his arms, he held her gently as her sobbing slowed.

_"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Asuka," _he said as he stroked her hair, _" but I'm here now…"_

Shinji awoke with a start, as Asuka's sobs grew worse. _"Go to her," _he heard Karou say as he bolted from his bed and out of his room. He didn't stop to think or feel sad that he would never hear his friend's voice again, the only thing that mattered was being there for Asuka.

Entering her room, he saw her balled up on her bed, crying uncontrollably. He quickly crossed over to her bed, sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. Asuka instinctively wrapped her arms around Shinji and held on as if her life depended on it. Her sobs slowly tapered off, as Shinji continued to hold and rock her, whispering to her that everything was alright. Finally, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. However, just before doing so, she opened her eyes just a bit and seemed a bit startled at what she saw.

"Shinji?" she whispered as sleep finally overcame her and she slept in his arms. Shinji, for his part, did not wish to disturb her, so he remained there the rest of the night, sitting with his back against the wall and holding her, driving off her nightmares, and allowing her to relax for the first time in so very long.

The next morning, Asuka stirred as she slowly started to wake, needing to go to the bathroom. Without even thinking, she hugged the young man in her bed, slid out of his arms and retreated to the bathroom. When she finally came out, she was a little more awake, and didn't even notice that her bed was now empty, but made up and ready for her to go back to sleep. Shinji was no longer there, and she would have passed it off as a strange dream if she hadn't felt the warm place where he had sat up all night with her.

Gently padding into his room, she saw the exhausted young man collapsed upon his own bed, sleeping heavily on his own covers. With a strange look on her face, she crossed over to his bed and pulled the covers over him the best that she could without waking him. She ever so gently caressed the side of his face, as a tear slid down her cheek and landed on his pillow.

"Thank you," whispered Asuka, so as not to wake Shinji, before she bent down and kissed his forehead. Straightening up, she left his room and quietly closed his door and went back to her own bed. Neither she nor Shinji ever spoke of that night, but after that the night terrors were mostly kept at bay by the thought of the young man right next door. It was the terrors that attacked in daytime that were the hardest to ward off, but she soon learned how to stop those, as well…..

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_Sunday morning…_

"Good Morning, Soryu," Commander Ikari called out somewhat pleasantly from behind his desk. For once, he was sitting up straight in his chair with his hands clasped together on the desktop. Commander Fuyutsuki stood behind him as was the norm, not saying a word or betraying any feeling of any sort.

"Ikari," Erik Soryu growled back, a look of sheer disgust on his rather unpleasant face. He was a bit disturbed by what seemed to be the lack of seriousness coming from the Commander.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Ikari asked, knowing full well what had caused this meeting, and knowing that his attitude toward Soryu was going to set the other man off.

"You know full well what I'm doing here, so let's cut the crap and get down to it!" the German seethed as he watched a small smile form on the Commander's face. "I came here to visit my daughter, and your son attacked me without provication!" Fuyutsuki's eyebrow shot up on that one.

"Really? I have reports that state otherwise," Gendo replied as he tossed a small folder down on his desk. "Eyewitness testimony, sworn statements, recordings and such."

"Bah! Bullshit and lies!" Soryu snarled, his face turning redder than his daughter's hair. "Whoever told you that wasn't there to see what happened, or were bullied into lying about what truly happened!"

"So the statements from the Director of Operations and the Commander of Combat Groups were either false or coerced?" Gendo asked as he leaned forward and hid his face behind his hands, as was the norm. A small grin formed as he knew he had the German.

"They weren't even there!" barked Soryu, "There were no high ranking members of your staff present!"

"Wrong," called out a familiar female voice from out of the shadows behind the Commander. Soryu felt the hair on the back of his neck rising as he saw Major Katsuragi step out into the light and take her place beside Commander Fuyutsuki.

"They were," another voice growled out, this time behind Soryu, and once more lost in the shadows. This voice made him want to wet his pants and run hiding, for it was the one that threatened to remove him from the current plane of exsistance the night before. Soryu slowly turned and watched Captain Shinji Ikari walk from the shadows and into the circle of light that surrounded him.

"What…what are you talking about?" stammered Soryu, who was clearly very nervous being around the younger Ikari. "These two are clearly delusional! They were there, as was my daughter, the blue-haired freak that you call a pilot, and my former sister-in-law!" A growl from the younger Ikari made Soryu lose control of his bladder, if even for a second.

"I would advise you from insulting the First Child, if I were you," Fuyutsuki spoke up for the first time, "She is the sister of the rather angry young gentleman behind you." Soryu's jaw dropped. What was said next floored him.

"Allow me to introduce Major Katsuragi, Director of Operations, and Captain Ikari, Commander of Combat Groups. As such, their testimonies are given more credence than most," the elder Ikari said as he motioned to the reports before him. "Anything to add, Soryu?"

"That doesn't matter," Soryu recovered as he set his face in a scowl, "what matters right now is the fact they prevented me from taking my daughter home! They have no right to interfere in my parental duties!"

"Actually, Soryu, you are the one who had no right to try to force the Second Child to go with you," Fuyutsuki replied as he produced another file, this one the personnel records for Asuka. Gendo nodded his head slightly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Soryu barked, forgetting about the young man behind him.

"The document here shows that when Asuka was chosen as a pilot, you willingly turned over guardianship of her to NERV. Something about how she and your new wife weren't getting along," answered Fuyutsuki, reading from the file before placing the document on the desk for Soryu to study. Storming forward, he snatched the paper up and gave it a quick read before throwing it back down.

"Bah! I'm reasserting my parental rights as of now, you're so called 'guardianship' of my daughter is at an end! She is going home today!" he said triumphantly, crossing his arms and non-verbally daring the others to contest it. He was dismayed to see Misato and Fuyutsuki smile slightly.

"Unfortunately for you, this document here says otherwise. When your daughter turned thirteen and was being prepped to come over to Japan, you signed a paper that showed that you did not contest her petition for legal emancipation. Her emancipation documents are right here," Fuyutsuki added as he placed those documents on the desk as well. Once more, Soryu stormed forward and grabbed up the papers, this time turning deathly white as he placed them back down.

"How?…When?" Soryu stammered as he stepped back, utterly shocked. "This can't be legal…"

"Ah, but it is legal. Filed in both German and Japanese courts. So you see, you cannot force the Second Child to go anywhere she does not wish to," Gendo said. Soryu's face grew red once more.

"Bullshit! She is my daughter and she will go where I say and do as I say! I'm not going to let her stay here and become anymore of a slut and a whore than she already is! She is coming with me!" Soryu shouted before he felt a hand on his shoulder, a hand that quickly spun him around to face the young man he had forgotten was behind him.

Once more, he faced the eyes of The Berserker. Shinji brought his hand up before anyone could think and backhanded the German with as much force as he could muster. Soryu landed in a heap at the foot of the elder Ikari's desk, lying in a mixed pool of blood, saliva, urine and broken teeth. Slowly, Soryu sat up and turned to glare at the young Captain when his eyes widened in horror as Shinji stalked toward him with the same fire in his eyes.

"Captain Ikari! Contain yourself!" his father barked out as Shinji came to a sudden stop. Something in Shinji's eyes had scared the elder Ikari, and he had no plans to allow his son to commit murder within the office.

"Don't EVER talk about her like that again!" Snarled the Berserker, causing Soryu to lose what little was left in his bladder.

"Stand down, Captain," Misato commanded as she tried to make eye contact with Shinji._ "If he looses it here, they'll be no stopping him short of shooting him! Asuka's back home and there is no way to get her here in time!"_

"Yes ma'am," Shinji said as he finally looked up and made eye contact with her. He took several steps back toward the outer edge of the circle of light that the fallen German had previously been standing in. Soryu finally pulled himself up from the floor and leaned heavily on the Commander's desk.

"You can't have her, Ikari," Soryu wheezed, as he struggled to speak with an injured mouth. "She's mine, not yours."

"I don't want her," the elder Ikari answered back, " She and the Captain are engaged to married. Keeping the pilots happy helps to ensure Mankind's survival. But seeing how she's going to marry into the family, I assure you that she will be…well taken care of." A smile more reminiscent of a snarl appeared on the Commander's lips.

"Major, Captain, you are dismissed. Thank you for your time," Fuyutsuki announced as Misato and Shinji saluted. "There will be no further investigation."

"Yes sir!" they both answered back as they disappeared into the shadows and left the room. The Sub-Commander stepped back into the shadows as well, leaving the Commander and Soryu alone in the light. A small light on Ikari's desk confirmed the Major and the Captain had left the office. He grinned evilly.

"Well, Erik, it seems that you aren't going to get your way, this time," Ikari said as the German leaned forward on his desk.

"I don't know how you did it, you rotten bastard," Soryu muttered, spitting blood on the desk.

"I did nothing. The signatures are legitimate and completely legal. It seems you merely didn't wish to be bothered by such a troublesome child. You gladly handed her over to NERV," the Commander replied, happy that for once he had no hand in the legal matters. _"Plausable deniability,"_ he thought.

"Fine, you want the little bitch, you can have her. I disown her, completely. She has no home to go back to when you and your son are finished with her, she'll have no money to start over with when you've used her up, and she'll have no one to turn to when you break her. It's her choice, she'll have to live with it!" Soryu snarled, hoping to score points against the Commander. They were dashed when Ikari flashed a shark's smile.

"You better watch what you say about the Second Child. She's to be my daughter-in-law, and you have seen how the Third Child reacts to such _faux pas_," Gendo said as he produced a thick set of folders from within the desk. " As for leaving her in such a state, you are once again mistaken." Slowly, he opened one of the folders.

"This is the Will of Kyoko Soryu, the wife you so callously disregarded in her darkest hours. This was written well before her failed contact experiment with Unit 02, so it is absolutely legal," Ikari read off as Soryu's eyes enlarged, wondering how the Commander had gotten such a document. He knew what was coming next, for he had surpressed the Will after Kyoko's 'suicide'.

"It seems your wife left her entire estate to her daughter, Asuka. You were to act as guardian of the estate until such time as Asuka was a legal adult, at which time all would revert to her. As you well know, that was to be at either the age of eighteen, or until declared an adult by the courts," Gendo grinned, watching the unwelcome guest in his office squirm. "As you have seen, you signed the papers allowing her legal emancipation. Thus, the estate is now legally hers." Erik turned white.

"But…but…" he stammered as the Commander pressed forward.

"I see by this report, you have listed certain properties, bank accounts, investments and such as your own personal property. Unfortunately for you, it seems most of these were brought into the marriage by Kyoko, thus now currently belonging to the Second Child. Thus, your threat to leave the Second Child penniless, homeless, and destitute are as empty as your promises to your dead wife." Ikari's cold heart warmed slightly at the look of utter shock on Soryu's face. _"Now, for the killing stroke!" _he thought to himself.

"That…that report must be wrong! Everything belongs to me and my wife!" Soryu stammered before the Commander continued. "You can't have it!"

"I don't want it or need it. It belongs to the Second Child. These documents have been forwarded to the German authorities, who are at this time descending down and seizing all of your assets for further examination. I do hope that they don't find any financial…irregularities." Gendo added with a smile, "You realize possible criminal charges could result." He enjoyed Soryu's discomfort.

"This isn't happening…" Soryu muttered, shaking his head.

"Now, seeing how you are, in all probability, going to be investigated for possible financial fraud," the Commander announced, " I'm afraid that NERV cannot allow itself to be associated with you any longer. You are now released from NERV, forthwith. All of your clearances and privileges are now hereby revoked. As such, you are to leave NERV property immediately and never return." Soryu's face turned red with anger.

"You can't do that!" he fumed, "I have been with this organization since before it was NERV! We'll see what SEELE has to say about this!"

"SEELE already knows of the situation," Ikari stated, "and they approve of the solution. However, on a rather more personal note, allow me to tell you this: Do not mess with my family! You brandished a gun in my son's home, with the proof being a wound on the back of his hand! You throw my future daughter-in-law against the wall, endangering her and her baby! I may be considered a total bastard by everyone else, and I gladly use members of my own family to further our goals, but I will NOT allow anyone else to jeopardize their lives! And despite what I may wish, your daughter is about to become family, thus she is under MY protection! Is this understood,Soryu? She is to become an Ikari, no questions asked."

"Yes, sir," the German mumbled miserably, as his whole carefully crafted world starts to fall apart around him. Without Kyoko's assets, his own personal fortune will be greatly diminished, and when the authorites discover some of his more…_creative_ …investments, he would surely lose his feedom as well.

"Section 2 will escort you from the building. You are dismissed," the Commander said as he picked up the folders from his desk and placed them back within it. Soryu turned and started to slowly shuffle back toward the door when Fuyutsuki stepped from the shadows and punched him squarely in the stomache, driving the air from his lungs and sending him to his knees.

"How DARE you treat your own daughter like that?" Fuyutsuki hissed as Soryu's eyes bulged in surprise and pain. "Do you have any idea how badly you have hurt her?"

"Fuyutsuki?" the elder Ikari asked as he saw Soryu fall to the floor. He always knew his old sensei had a soft spot for the Children, even the loud-mouthed obnoxious redhead. Plus the fact that Shinji had essentially gotten shot by the man's wife seems to have affected the older gentleman.

"Sorry, Commander. It seems my fist slipped. I apologize," the Sub-Commander said as he withdrew from the fallen German.

"Ah. Well, don't let it happen again," Gendo replied dismissively as he turned his back to the two others and began scanning the other reports from his desk.

"Yes sir," Fuyutsuki answered as two NERV agents came into the office and dragged Erik Soryu from the office.

"By the way, Fuyutsuki, make sure he and his wife leave Japan as soon as possible. I think there is a military cargo flight bound for Germany leaving shortly. See to it they are on it before it leaves, will you?" Gendo added, laughing heartily inside. It had been a long time coming, but he finally put that stuck-up German in his place.

"By your command," Fuyutsuki answered before bowing and seeing to the arrangements. He and the Commander shared a vicious smile at the thought.

_"Well, Shinji,"_ the elder Ikari thought as he tried to focus on the reports before him,_ " I may not be much of a father to you, but I hope you and your wife enjoy the wedding present I just acquired for you."_ With that, he reached into his jacket pocket and stared at the well worn photograph in his hand and sighed sadly.

End of Chapter 5.


	6. Chapter 6

-1Father

Part 6

_Tuesday, D-day minus four…_

It had been several days since the disastrous encounter with Asuka's parents, and Rei was still troubled. Why Asuka's parents had such a bad reaction was extremely puzzling to her, and she couldn't understand how they were able to blame her. The fact that they had injured her brother angered her more than she had ever felt before in her life. She still wished that there was something that she could do to them for what they had done, and this reaction worried her. Emotions were still a mystery to her, but not near as much as they had been in the past.

However, there was something else that bothered her, even to the point that she had been unable to sleep much since it had crept into her mind. It had awaken her from a sound sleep the night of the incident, and had yet to let go. She felt as if some invisible hand had reached into her chest and wrapped itself around her heart, making it hard for her to breath or even think. As she had sat up in her bed, she felt tears fall from her eyes and heard her own ragged breathing. This feeling was foreign, and very unwelcome.

She didn't know what to do as she looked around her quiet, lonely apartment, so she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs and did her best to comfort herself. This had failed miserably, so she quickly jumped up, threw one of her new night gowns on that Misato had insisted she buy , left her apartment and went next door to her brother's place. She knew it was too late at night to wake him up and talk to him, so she made herself comfortable on the couch and went back to sleep, comforted by the fact that Shinji was just in the next room.

It was Asuka that found her the next morning and made sure that she was alright, before dragging her up from the sofa and into the kitchen, saying she was going to teach the pale girl how to cook, specifically breakfast. Shinji woke several minutes later to the smell of frying bacon, and was pleasantly surprised to see his fiancée and sister working together to make breakfast, both just chatting away like old friends. He walked over and gave his sister a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before wrapping his arms around Asuka and giving her a deep, toe-curling kiss that left her flustered. Asuka and Rei both shooed him from the kitchen while they finished preparing breakfast.

Rei slept better the next night, but the feeling was still within her and she just could not shake it. She spent most of the day Monday to herself, keeping an eye on Asuka from a distance. Shinji and Asuka were both confused about her behavior, as she seemed to be withdrawing back within herself, which greatly concerned her brother. Hikari came over to talk to her, but Rei reassured her that everything was alright, though the Class Representative was clearly not convinced. Shinji was unable to get her to say much of anything on the ride home that night, and she shut herself back within her apartment to try to face her fears down by herself, which failed miserably once more.

Now it was Tuesday, and she felt worse than she had since that first night. Nothing she did seemed to alleviate the pain, and the closer it got to Saturday, the worse it became. She felt the strange tears trying to force their way out , and she did everything she could to try to keep them in place, much as Asuka had used to do in the past. It was now lunch, and she was wondering around the schoolyard when she felt an arm wrapped around her waist and was pulled into a hug. She gasped in surprise before she realized who it was that had done so. Rei turned and looked at her brother, and saw deep concern in his blue eyes.

"What's wrong, Rei?" Shinji asked with genuine concern as he guided her over to the tree their group liked to sit under when they eat lunch. Much to her surprise, Rei noticed that the tree was currently vacant, though lunch was well under way.

"There is nothing wrong, Shinji," Rei answered as she watched her brother shake his head in disbelief.

"You know, you're almost as bad a liar as I am," Shinji said with a chuckle as the two of them took a seat under the shade of the branches, blocking most of the harsh sunlight of the day. "I know all about you spending the night Saturday, so tell me what's going on, please? You've become so distant lately, just like you used to be before we got to know each other." Rei looked down at her lap and refused to meet his eyes. Shinji lifted her chin and made her make eye contact with him. He could see the unshed tears within. "What is wrong, sis?"

"Do you remember what you told me after you saved me from Armisael?" the albino girl asked as she remembered back to the attack of the Sixteenth Angel. She could still see everything so clearly in her mind, and could still feel the pain as the Angel merged with Unit 00, doing it's best to invade her mind and body. It was only by the intervention of her brother that she survived……

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She had already set the self-destruct system in Unit 00 and had resigned herself to death, in hopes of killing the Angel and saving Shinji. Unknown to Rei at that time, Shinji had already received a package from Kaji, telling him of her nature and her origins. It had shock him greatly to discover that she was a clone, and one cloned from his dead mother. That news paralyzed him in combat as his emotions were in conflict over her nature. It was after he felt a warm touch to his mind that let him know that everything was alright and that allowed him to understand that Rei was his half-sister that his paralysis was broken.

Realizing what Rei had planned to do, Shinji willed Unit 01 to moved faster than it ever had before, actually breaking the sound barrier, and dodging the Angel as it did its best to merge with his EVA as well. Reaching Unit 00, he tore the head from the stricken EVA and pulled the entry plug from it's torso, before lifting Unit 00 with one arm and tossing it and the Angel as far as his strength could. The dying EVA landed on the far side of the closest mountain and detonated with a force the likes of which nobody born after Second Impact had ever seen before. A split second before the blast swept over Unit 01 and Tokyo-3, Shinji projected his A-T field at full strength and deflected the blast toward the sparsely populated countryside. Tokyo-3 and Rei were both safe. It was after this that Shinji gently pulled her from the entry plug and held her so very close, hoping beyond hope that the only member of his family that had yet to reject him was still alive. As he placed her on the gurney of the ambulance, she opened her eyes in wonder and looked straight up into his blue eyes, wordlessly asking him a very important question. His answer startled her.

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"Sure, I do. I told you that you were my sister, that I loved you, that I would never leave you, and that I would always be there for you," Shinji answered, still not understanding what was wrong with his sister. He remembered that it wasn't too very long after that that he convinced her to stop taking the medications that Dr. Akagi was ordering her to take. Though they claimed that it was to keep her body from degrading, all they turned out to be were chemicals to keep her under their control, keeping her in Asuka's words,_ "a mindless, soulless doll. A useless puppet." _

"I am worried," Rei said as a small tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, "I know that you love Asuka, and she loves you, and you both love the baby growing within her. But I was wondering…" she trailed off as more tears broke free and slid down her face. Shinji reached over and wiped them from her face as best he could. He had never seen his sister that emotional before, and this worried him.

"I…I was wondering," she continued as a lump formed in her throat and the pain in her chest threatened to overwhelm her, " Will you still love me? Will you still be there for me? Will there still be room in your life for your sister? Will I end up all alone again?" her lower lip trembled uncontrollably as the tears flowed freely. Shinji just sat there in shock, never in his wildest dreams ever thinking that Rei would ever feel this way. She turned her head and faced away from him, staring down at the ground.

"Rei," he said in a very gentle, soothing way as he tried to assuage her fears. She spoke up once more before he could continue.

"I know…I understand that thinking this way makes me a horrible, selfish person. But it frightens me so! I…I do not want to lose my family!" she sobbed as she leaned against her brother seeking comfort, comfort he was more than willing to give.

"It's okay, Rei, it's alright," Shinji said as he held onto his sister and stoked her hair, trying his best to calm the frightened girl. "You are not going to loose your family! Trust me, if anything, it's going to get larger than ever!" She looked at him, very confused.

"I do not understand," she replied, as her sobs began to lessen. Her brother held her tight, sharing his strength with her.

"Well, let's see: Asuka already accepts you as a sister, doesn't she?" he asked gently, prodding her to get her thought processes working.

"Yes," the blue-haired girl replied, sniffling somewhat, "We have gotten quite close. She is even teaching me how to cook."

"See? Once Asuka and I get married Saturday, you'll have a little niece that's going to need her Aunt Rei, right?" Shinji asked once more, hoping that he was getting his sister to understand.

"I hope so," Rei answered back, her tears slowing down. Seeing this raised Shinji's spirits somewhat.

"I know so. With our wedding, Heidi will be related to you through marriage, so that just adds more to our family, right?" he added, knowing full well that Heidi had already 'adopted' Rei into her family. "Plus, Misato has been a mother to all three of us, hasn't she? More so than any mother any of us have ever known?"

"True," Rei nodded her head in agreement. "The Major…er…Misato has looked after us very well."

"I will always love you, Rei. You're my sister. There is more than enough room in my life for you. If anything, I'll probably need you more than ever. Believe it or not, all of this kind of scares me still. I love Asuka and the baby, but this is still a huge step we're taking," Shinji said, trembling slightly. " I'll always be there for you, you can trust me on that!"

"Thank you, brother," Rei replied as she leaned over and hugged her brother, now doing her part to comfort him. "I was afraid that Asuka was taking you from me, and I felt bad about feeling that way."

"It's okay, Rei. That's a normal human reaction," he said as the two of them sat back against the tree and relaxed, watching the rest of the students go about their normal day. His thoughts turned to the woman he loved. "I wonder what Asuka's up to?"

"Shinji? Please do not tell Asuka about this. I do not wish for her to hate me," Rei asked as she pulled what looked like a small video game from a fold in her dress and started working it's controls. Shinji looked on curiously.

"She wouldn't hate you, Rei, but I promise not to tell her," he answered as he looked on, trying to figure out what his sister was doing. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find out where my future sister is," she replied as she worked the controls. Now Shinji was really confused. Rei's eyes widened ever so slightly as she quickly stood. "Thank you, Shinji. Please, enjoy the rest of the lunch period."

"Uh, sure thing, Rei," he answered back as he watched his sister take off down the hill at a quick walk, still puzzled at how playing a video game was going to help Rei find Asuka. His sister could still act so strange at times.

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The wedding was now less than a week away, and Asuka still had a hundred things on her mind. Even though Heidi and Misato were doing their best to help her plan everything, she still felt as if the main responsibility fell on her. After the episode with her father and step-mother, things felt bleak, very bleak.

After all, who flies to Japan just to call their daughter a whore and disown her? Now, she was hearing all sorts of whispers and grumbling around the school about the marriage, getting dirty looks from a lot of the girls who wanted Shinji, as well as many of the guys who wanted nothing more than to spread her legs and knew they had no chance now that she was getting married. Plus, the fact that Rei had been acting very strange, even for her, the past couple of days didn't help the situation out whatsoever. She didn't need this kind of stress.

The only bright spots in her day were Shinji and the baby. She loved her friends too, but Shinji's instructions to them left her feeling smothered most of the time. Asuka knew it was done out of love, but sometimes it really drove her nuts. The only private time she got in school was when she wanted to go to the restroom, and even then she'd have to dodge Hikari or Rei.

"Well," she thought to herself as she smiled to herself, "I got away this time!" She washed her hands and managed to get two steps out the door before her whole world went black.

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"Wakey, wakey, bitch!" a voice called as Asuka felt cold water hit her face.

"Huh? What? What the hell?" she grumbled as she struggled to regain consciousness. She tried to move around only to discover something was holding onto her wrists rather tightly. Opening her eyes, she saw that they were being held by two girls who looked vaguely familiar.

"Aww, is the poor little slut groggy?" the same voice called back while Asuka shook her head to get rid of the cobwebs. Looking about, she discovered she back in the girls restroom. The back of her head was aching from where someone had obviously struck her, which was unfortunately the same spot where she had slammed her head into the wall the previous Sunday, when her father had thrown her against the wall. "Wake up, bitch! I want to enjoy this!"

Asuka's eyes opened wider as she faced the person who was addressing her so rudely. It turned out to be Kiki Natsume, the same girl who had confronted Asuka about Shinji several weeks ago. Asuka's face contorted in rage as a growl grew in her throat.

"Ah, I see the lights have finally come on," Kiki sneered as she threw the empty cup that she had been holding to the tile floor. "About time, slut!"

"What the hell is going on? Just who do you think your calling a 'slut' and a 'bitch'….OUCH!!" Asuka screamed as Kiki took a step forward and slapped Asuka as hard as she could. Asuka struggled to get free, but was still being held by the two other girls, and was still too groggy to put up much of a fight.

"Now, now! Mind your manners! You are in no position to do much of anything right now, Soryu," Kiki said as she got up very close to Asuka's face, her teeth glinting in the cold light of the fluorescent bulbs of the washroom. "I know your secret!" she whispered.

"What?" Asuka gasped, going deathly pale as her attacker smirked at her reaction. Kiki knew she was right.

"I said I know your secret! You obviously spread your legs like the tramp you are and got knocked up. That's the only reason a great guy like Shinji would ask you to marry him! Hell, knowing you, you probably beat him into it!" The other girls just giggled at everything Kiki had just said, as if it were the funniest thing they had ever heard. Asuka struggled even harder.

"Fuck you, Natsume! This baby is Shinji's!" Asuka growled back, causing the sneer on Kiki's face to drop into a very hard scowl. "Why do you even give a damn if Shinji and I are together? It's not like you ever showed any interest in him before!" Asuka snarled as she continued to struggle against the two that held her in place. _"You better not even think about laying a finger on him, bitch!" _she thought.

"Well, me and a few of the other girls always thought that he was kind of cute, but after seeing how loving and protective he's suddenly become of you, I just knew I had to make him mine! I think he'll choose me over some redheaded bitch any day when the only reason he's with you is about to disappear!" Asuka's tormenter gloated as a horrific smile crept upon her lips. Asuka gasped.

_"Ach mein Gott!" _Asuka thought to herself, as she watched Kiki ball up her fist and cock back her arm, _"She's going to kill my baby!" _ Asuka's years of hand-to-hand combat training clicked on instantly as she watched the insane girl lunge at her. Locking her arms in place and putting all her weight on her left foot, Asuka snapped her right foot straight up just as Kiki got into range.

"Owwww!!" Kiki screamed as Asuka's foot connected, sending teeth and blood flying across the restroom, splattering the gleaming white in streaks of crimson. The injured girl collapsed in a heap, crying loudly. Asuka hoped to use the confusion of the situation to break free, praying that Kiki's friends would rush to her aide. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

"You bitch!!" Kiki screamed as she dragged herself up off of the floor, tears and blood pouring down her face. Asuka was satisfied to see she had split Kiki's chin and lower lip. When she opened her mouth, Asuka could see that the girl was missing several teeth, along with several others severely broken.

"Humph! The outside matches the inside, now!" Asuka sneered as Kiki's face contorted with rage.

"You know something, you sorry tramp?" Kiki mumbled as she reached into the front of her dress, "I really wanted to enjoy this! I wanted to make it slow and so very painful. I wanted to know that I had beaten that bastard right out of you, so I could be the first one there and console Shinji properly!"

"Sorry to ruin your plans, you rotten pile of shit!" Asuka snarled as Kiki pulled her hand back out of her dress and revealed a small pocket knife.

"You fucking ruined my face!" Kiki screamed, red from head to toe, "No one's going to want me now! You ruined my life, you fucking whore!! I ought to kill you!"

_"She tries to kill my baby, and now wants to kill me because of a few broken teeth? Damn, this girl is nuts!"_ Asuka thought to herself as her eyes grew wide at the sight of the blade being flashed before her.

"I guess I'll just have to make this look like self-defense," Kiki growled as she twirled the knife and prepared to stab Asuka. The young German braced for it, getting ready to kick at her attacker again, but knowing that she was going to get cut, one way or another.

"Don't do this, Natsume! You can walk away right now before you do something stupid!" Asuka said, hoping that the girl would see reason. A sinister smile crossed Kiki's lips.

"Goodbye, bitch!" Kiki barked as she pulled her arm back, getting ready to put all her strength into the first thrust.

**KA-CLICK!**

"Put the knife down, Natsume," Rei Ayanami commanded as she held her service pistol to the side of Kiki's head. The bleeding girl stood stock still, but the smell of urine permeated the air.

"What…what are you doing?!" Kiki screamed. "You have a gun in school?! What kind of nut job are you, Ayanami?"

"I am a member of the military. I am required to carry one at all times. The question is: what are you doing with a knife in school?" Rei calmly asked back.

"It's for self-defense! Can't you see what that redheaded psycho did to me? My friends just managed to pull her off of me! She attacked me because I told her that Shinji was leaving her for me!" Kiki lied desperately looking to her two companions. Both merely stood there wide-eyed before nodding their heads violently in agreement.

"Really? That was not what your friend outside the door said when I came here looking for Asuka. She was quite…_happy_…to tell me everything." the blue-haired pilot said calmly, but in a voice that sent chills down Kiki's spine.

"That's bull, Ayanami!," Kiki spat, "Hinata would never tell you anything! She knows I'd kick her ass!"

"I can be quite persuasive when I have to be," Rei remarked, pressing the gun tighter to Kiki's head. "Drop the knife now, before there is an unfortunate…_accident_." The knife quickly fell to the floor, as Rei's blood red eyes turned and locked unto Kiki's two friends.

"It would be advisable for the two of you to release Asuka and report directly to the principle's office for your punishment. Hikari has already informed them that you are on your way," Rei said flatly as the two accomplices released Asuka and ran from the room, leaving only two pilots and one very frightened Kiki Natsume.

"Look, Rei, I don't know what Hinata told you, but…URK!" Kiki started to say before a pistol, a twin to the first, was crammed into her mouth. Tears started to flow as Kiki looked into the murderous eyes of the Red-Headed Demon.

"You…fucking…little…skank," Asuka seethed, doing everything she could to control herself and not squeeze the trigger. "You threatened to kill my baby just so you could get a boy who you really don't like, but want because someone else already has him? What kind of Grade A psycho are you?" Kiki started to sob around the barrel of the gun as the smell of feces began to linger. "I ought to put a bullet through your fucking brain right now!"

"While that may be most enjoyable, Asuka, that would not be a wise move. We should turn her over to the authorities and let them deal with her," Rei said calmly. Asuka's eyes bugged out at the suggestion.

"Are you crazy, Rei? You know what will happen! She and her little friends will say the two mean old EVA pilots jumped them and beat them up! It will be their word against ours! Besides, she tried to kill my baby and take my Shinji!!" Asuka screamed. She so wanted to twitch her finger and smear Kiki's brains all over the wall. Said girl was still sobbing and violently trembling.

"Asuka, you cannot do this, just think of what would happen to the baby and Shinji if you were sent to prison," Rei reasoned with the upset redhead, then produced a memory stick from her dress, "We have all the proof we need, right here." Kiki and Asuka's eyes both shot up.

"What is that?" the young German asked. The blue haired girl smiled ever so slightly.

"I had Kensuke help me wire all the girl's restrooms with a video feed, after seeing what kind of treatment you received from many of our fellow students when all this started," Rei explained, still eyeing the gun in Natsume's mouth. "Do not worry, only Hikari and I have access to the feed, I made sure of that! Now please, take the weapon out of her mouth so we can have her escorted to the office. I believe that there are several Section 2 agents standing just outside the door right about now." Reluctantly, Asuka did as Rei asked, as the albino grabbed Kiki roughly by the upper arm and shoved her out the door, right into the waiting arms of two rather large men. They proceeded to drag the young girl toward the principle's office.

"Rei? How? Why?," Asuka asked, still dazed by the assault and the rapid turn of events, as she dropped her pistol to her side and rubbed her belly with her other hand._ "That was too close,"_ she thought. "If Shinji put you up to this…"

"It was not my brother's idea, though he would probably appreciate it if he knew," Rei answered back as she re-holstered her weapon, then stood there with her hands behind her back, looking somewhat lost at what should happen next. "Hikari and I thought it would be most prudent seeing to your propensity to go off on your own, despite what is in your best interest."

"Rei, I.…I don't know what to say," Asuka murmured, her eyes wide and glistening.

"There is nothing to say, Asuka, I was merely.." was all Rei was say before she heard Asuka's gun hit the floor and the redhead jumped forward and wrapped her arms around her, slightly crushing her in an unexpected bear hug.

"Thank you, Rei! Thank you," Asuka whispered as the tears began to slide down her cheeks. "You saved my baby!" Caught off guard, Rei hesitantly wrapped her own arms around the sobbing girl. Her heart warmed up as she began to really feel close to only the second person in her strange life.

"It is okay, 'sis', " Rei answered as her own tears began to fall, releasing the pent up turmoil that had confused her the past several days. Asuka pulled back some and gave Rei a surprised smile before the two girls began hugging each other once more, as tears of sadness, stress, and happiness mixed on their cheeks and wetting each others shoulders.

" 'Sis', huh?" Asuka asked as she pulled away and wiped the moisture from her eyes, as Rei did the same, "It's about time! I was getting worried about you, you know. The last couple of days, you've been more withdrawn than usual. What was wrong?"

"I was….worried," Rei replied as she stooped down, picked up Asuka's pistol and handed it back to her, "I was afraid that you were taking my brother away from me. I didn't want to lose my family."

"That's silly, Rei," Asuka said as she put her firearm away. "I look forward to having you as my sister-in-law! I would never take Shinji from you!"

"I know that now. Shinji and I had a talk before I came looking for you," Rei replied as she and Asuka left the restroom and started to walk toward the principle's office.

"By the way, how do you know that Kensuke doesn't have a secret feed from the restroom just for himself? I wouldn't put it past the little pervert, you know?" Asuka asked, looking at her fellow pilot from the corner of her eye. She saw Rei smile slightly, then frown just a bit.

"Several reasons, actually. First off, the fear that you would kill him if we ever discovered such an intrusion. Next, the fear that all the other girls would kill him if they knew. Then the fact that the video feed is encrypted and only Hikari and I have the key," Rei said as she counted the reasons off on her fingers, then frowned some more, " And I agreed to go on a date with him if he promised to not try to gain access to it." Asuka stopped, her jaw opened in shock.

"WHAT?! You agreed to go on a date with Kensuke?" Asuka screamed, causing Rei to cringe a bit, "Are you nuts? There's no telling what that little sneak will try on you! My baby and I aren't worth it!" Rei couldn't help but giggle a bit at the last comment. Asuka joined her.

"It is alright, Asuka! I insisted that I will be the one picking where we will go and what we will do. He agreed to it most readily. I will be wearing my anti-pervert perfume and carrying a tazer with when we go out. It will be just one date, trust me!" Rei said, bringing more laughs from the traumatized redhead as they continued their journey.

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"Could somebody get the door, please?" Shinji called out from the kitchen when he heard the door chimes, "I'm a bit busy!"

"I'll get it!" Asuka called back as she passed the kitchen and peeked in on the man in her life, who was busy making fresh egg rolls and showing his sister how it should be done. "Seeing how you're too dang lazy to do it yourself!" she added with a smirk.

"Hey, I'm making dinner here!" he fussed back, giving her a quick wink as Rei looked on , confused at their banter.

"What? You can't do both at the same time? What kind of lazy bum am I marrying?" Asuka shot back, returning his wink. Shinji stuck his tongue out and threw an egg roll wrapper at her, which passed through the spot she had just vacated and stuck to the wall on the opposite side of the hall. He grinned when he heard her laughter echoing through the apartment.

"Shinji, I can continue to make these if you need to answer the door. I may not have your skills, but I will do my best. I do not wish to see the two of you argue," Rei said as she gazed at her brother, who smiled and tried his best not to laugh.

"No, it's okay, Rei! Asuka and I were just playing with each other," he answered, reassuring his sister that everything was alright. "Trust me, we weren't arguing for real. It's just another way of showing affection." Rei looked at him oddly, then continued to work on the egg rolls, making sure that she didn't add any meat to the ones she fixed.

Asuka grinned as she listened to her fiancé trying to explain the nuances of human relationships to his baffled sister. There was just something about that pale girl that grew on people, even Asuka, though it had taking quite a while for that to happen. Asuka just shook her head as she opened the door to see to their visitor. She gasped as soon as she saw who was standing there.

"Hello, Asuka," Fuyutsuki greeted as he stood outside the door, gazing at the Second Child. "How are you doing this evening?" He was aware of what happened earlier that day at the school, and was worried about her.

"Oh! Commander Fuyutsuki! Hello!" Asuka answered, shocked to see the second-in-command of NERV standing at her door. "What can I do for you?"

"I just came by to make sure everything was okay, and to deliver some things," the white-haired gentleman answered, "May I come in?" Asuka blinked, then suddenly jumped, as if startled. She had not ever expected to see him at the door, and it had caused her to forget her manners.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry! Come on in," she replied, red faced with shame as she stepped back to let the Sub-Commander in. He smiled gently as he walked passed her, before his eyes fell upon the egg roll wrapper plastered to the wall.

"Interesting choice of decorations," he said wryly as the young German quickly peeled it from the wall and hid it in her hand, "Did you find it at the local home renovation center?" His crooked smile showed her there was no malice to the comment, but she still blushed red and smiled nervously as she hid the wrapped behind her back.

"Uh well…," she said before turning toward the kitchen and calling out, "Shinji! We have a guest! Would you come in here please?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Sure, hon! What's up?" Shinji answered as he came around the corner, wiping his hands on a towel, "Ah! Good evening, Commander! What can we do for you tonight?"

"I was just telling your bride-to-be that I came by to check up on you two and deliver a few things," Fuyutsuki replied as he peered past the young man and saw the First Child standing in the kitchen by the counter. He was struck at how much like her mother she appeared to be. "Good Evening, Rei. How are you tonight?"

"Good evening, Commander. I am well, thank you," Rei answered as she continued to pour all her concentration in creating the perfect egg roll. "My brother is teaching me how to cook."

"Ah, most excellent! I have always believed that families bonded best in the kitchen," Fuyutsuki said as he watched her in wonder. Shinji excused himself to help Rei finish up and to get drinks for everyone as Asuka guided the older man to the living room, but not before throwing the much abused wrapper back at Shinji and hitting him right between the eyes, giving him a warning glare.

"So, how are you doing, Asuka?" Fuyutsuki asked once more, _sotto voci _ so as to keep Shinji from overhearing everything. "After everything that has happened today and with your parents, I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing."

"I'm…as well as can be expected," she sighed as she wiped a small tear that escaped as she and Fuyutsuki took seats across from each other, "It all still shocks me somewhat, especially today, but I have my family here to support me. That's all I need." She noticed the Commander's smile at what she had said.

"You know, Shinji isn't the only person I've seen grow the past several weeks," he said as the young German began to blush somewhat, "You have definitely made huge strides since I first saw you. You're more…well, for lack of a better word,_ human_."

"Well, I have learned that I can't do everything on my own, like I used to think," she replied as she tucked her legs up under herself, "and it definitely feels so much better to have those who love you around and supporting you."

"Especially a certain young man?" Fuyutsuki prodded, causing Asuka to blush and smile at the same time.

"Yes, especially Shinji," she answered, feeling the warmth in her heart the thought of the Third Child caused.

"Speaking of whom, are you sure you don't want him to know about what happened today?" Fuyutsuki wondered.

"I'm sure, and Rei agrees with me," Asuka said with certainty, nodding her head, "I don't want there to be any secrets between Shinji and myself. However, I have seen his darker side, and it does frighten me somewhat. I wouldn't want to think what would happen if he found out what happened today." Fuyutsuki nodded in reply.

"Well, you won't have to worry about those four again," he said with finality, "they have been placed in juvenile detention, and their families have been relocated from Tokyo-3 to Australia. It wasn't the families fault, but we didn't wish for them to remain anywhere near either you or the baby." Asuka set her jaw and nodded in agreement.

"That's a relief! Thank you!," Asuka replied just as Shinji and Rei walked in carrying several cups of tea and handing one off to the older gentleman.

"Thank you for what?" Shinji asked, a little baffled as he handed Asuka her cup and took a seat next to her.

"Uh…for the tea, of course! Duh!" she quickly replied as Fuyutsuki hid his smile behind his own cup, and gave the Second Child a quick wink. Asuka breathed a sigh of relief as Shinji accepted the answer and sat back and relaxed.

"You're welcome," Shinji replied as he began to drink his tea and began to wonder why Rei, Asuka and Fuyutsuki were looking at each other so strangely._ "It's just my imagination, I guess. Stress from the up coming wedding'"_ he reasoned as the looks quickly vanished.

"So, how are the plans for the wedding coming along? Everything working out?" the Commander asked.

"So far, so good," Asuka replied before frowning a little, "but I feel like there are still so many things left to do. I never did get to thank you for allowing us to use the Great Hall for the wedding! That helped out so very much!"

"Actually, that was Commander Ikari's idea," Fuyutsuki replied, then grinned mischievously, "but I'm more than willing to take the credit for it if that makes you happy!" The three pilots chuckled at his comment, and were slightly shocked at seeing that side of Fuyutsuki, even though others had sworn it was there. They had never really seen it before.

"Are you going to be there, Commander?" Rei asked, her crimson eyes locking onto his. "Will Commander Ikari be there as well?"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, believe me. It's not everyday that you get to see the child of your best student get married," Fuyutsuki replied as he watched Shinji beam at the thought of his mother, "Especially after helping to change his diapers when he was a baby! I swear, I'm not sure what Yui fed you, but it always came out as toxic waste! That stuff should be banned by the Geneva Conventions." Shinji turned ten shades of red as Rei and Asuka burst out in laughter, sending sprays of tea around the room as Fuyutsuki merely smiled.

"_ Et tu,_ Commander?" Shinji moaned, covering his face with his hand, "_Et tu?"_

"Sorry about that, Captain, I just couldn't resist," the white haired man chuckled as he pulled several envelopes from his jacket. "To answer your question, Rei, the Commander regrets that he will not be able to attend…"

"Figures," Shinji muttered sadly, causing his fiancée to reach over and pat his hand, trying to comfort him.

"But he did send his wedding gift for me to deliver," Fuyutsuki continued, trying to ignore the hurt look on Shinji's face. He passed the first envelope over to Asuka, who looked at it strangely before deciding it wasn't a bomb and proceeded to tear it open.

"What…what is all this?" the red head asked as she pulled several legal documents from the folder and began to read over them, her eyes glistening as they threatened to overflow. Shinji leaned over and read them with her.

"That, my dear, is your inheritance. Your mother left everything to you in her will, to be held in trust by your father until such time as you were eighteen, or declared an adult. The wedding license issued to you and Shinji is such a declaration in the eyes of the law." He purposely neglected to tell her about the legal emancipation documents that NERV had in it's possession.

"Shinji, do you know what this means?" Asuka asked excitedly as she continued to peruse the documents in her hand.

"Well, it looks like you've inherited several large tracts of land, as well as quite a few rather large houses," Shinji answered, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"Along with a vast amount of money," Fuyutsuki added, making Shinji want to get up and tear the tongue from his head. Rei saw a brief flash of sadness in Shinji's eyes, but kept quiet.

"It means that we have a place to go when all this Angel crap is over with! We have a place to retire when we get older, and we have a place to raise our children!" Asuka said as her eyes took on a far away look, thinking back to the large tracts of forests she and Heidi used to take walks in back in younger days. Shinji seemed to brighten after hearing all this, especially the part about raising _their children_. Asuka reached over and gave Shinji a joyous hug.

"I'll pass your thanks on to the Commander," Fuyutsuki said with a smile, knowing that the children would never believe that the Commander really did give them this as a gift. _"Deep down, Gendo cares for his children, but refuses to show it. He covers it in intrigues and plots and plans of his own. I really fear that may be his downfall one day," _Fuyutsuki thought to himself.

"I have never known of the Commander doing anything so magnanimous for anyone before," Rei said softly as Fuyutsuki cleared his throat to continue.

"This is my gift to you two" he said as he handed another envelope over, this one to Shinji. The younger man promptly opened it and pull its contents out into the open. The three children sat in shock as they stared at two airline tickets, as well as the other documents that fell into Shinji's lap.

"Are these really…?" Shinji stammered while Asuka grabbed the stuff that had fallen, staring at them in disbelief as well.

"Yes. Two tickets to Okinawa, along with reservations to the finest hotel on the island," Fuyutsuki replied. "I know you two missed your school trip there several years back, and I was hoping to make it up to you. I like this town, but Tokyo-3 really isn't the best spot in the world for a honeymoon. I hope you two didn't already have plans, if so, then you can always cancel…"

"Uh, no, we didn't have any plans, Commander," Shinji replied it total shock. He turned to his fiancée to make sure, and saw that her jaw was in her lap. This was something she had definitely not expected. "To tell the truth, we hadn't really thought about it! With everything that has happened lately, it never really crossed our mind."

"I had thought as much," the older man chuckled, enjoying the looks on their faces.

"But what about the Angels?" Asuka wondered, "That's why we couldn't go last time! What if you need Shinji?" Fuyutsuki shook his head as he continued to smile.

"Arrangements have been made, Asuka. Rei will still be here on call. There will be a high speed transport on standby at all times at the airbase in Okinawa to retrieve you both in the event of an attack. I just want to two of you to go on your honeymoon and relax! Try not to think about NERV, Angels, or crotchety old commanders. Just enjoy spending time with each other and live a little. It's all this old man can ask of you."

"Commander, I don't know what to say," Asuka said, which was strange in itself._ "I'm never left speechless,"_ she thought. Then something flashed in her mind, one little detail that she had not been able to work out with the recent turn of events. She knew what to do, how to thank him properly.

"Uh, Commander, I do want to ask you for something else, if I can. After everything that happened with my father, there is something …uh…well…_missing_ from my wedding," she said, rather timidly. She swallowed and looked over to Shinji, who gave her hand a soft squeeze and a small nod. He knew what it was she was planning, and he approved.

"I'll do anything I can to help," Fuyutsuki replied gently, having no idea of what Asuka had in store for him.

"Well, since my father pretty much walked out of my life…uh… and since I can't find the right way to thank you for your gift," she continued. She really hated feeling so unconfident, so timid._ "Damn hormones!"_ she cursed silently. " I was wondering if…maybe… you could, uh, give me away at the wedding?"

Commander Fuyutsuki had seen many things in his long life that he never thought we would see. He saw his best student fall in love and marry the biggest bastard he had ever met. He saw the tapes of the total destruction of an entire continent following a failed contact experiment. He saw scientists grow huge monstrosities to fight other huge monstrosities. He saw his best student die before his eyes, and saw the creation of an altered clone of her. He saw his commander abandon his own son with no regard to the child's welfare, then watched him use that son later on to battle for Mankind's existence. He saw the fulfillment of prophesies that were thousands of years old. All of that paled in comparison to seeing the loud, obnoxious Second Child reduced to the frightened teenager she really was, and having that scared teenager ask him to give her away at her wedding.

"It…it would be my pleasure, Asuka," he replied passed the lump that had formed in his throat. In all his years, he would have never believed that Asuka would ever ask him to stand in as her father. He stood as said redhead leapt up and wrapped him up in an all encompassing hug. "It will be my pleasure."

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear just before the two broke away from the hug and sat back down. Suddenly, there was now one more person to add to the wedding party, and plans had to be made.

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"Shinji?" Rei said as she stood next to her brother, who was carefully dropping the egg rolls into the wok filled with hot oil and watching them turn a golden brown color. "Can I ask you about something?"

"Sure, Rei. Anything at all!" he replied as he used his ladle to make sure all sides of the rolls were evenly cooked. He hated an uneven color on his egg rolls.

"When Commander Fuyutsuki gave Asuka the gift from Commander Ikari, I saw sadness in your eyes for just a moment. Then afterward, you were happy again. May I ask what was wrong?" Shinji sighed as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Uh, well, It's kind of complicated," he said as he continued to watch the egg rolls, not wanting to make eye contact with his sister. He felt shameful at the feeling that had flooded his heart when he saw Asuka's gift. "I was so happy for Asuka when she got her inheritance, but then it hit me. I knew that Asuka and the baby were now going to be taken care of no matter what I did. So, for a second or two, I wondered if Asuka would want to still marry me. It broke my heart to think that maybe she wouldn't want to be with me any more."

"Shinji…" Rei started, her eyes focusing beyond her brother as he continued his story.

" Then she that we would have a place to raise _our children_, to retire to when we grew old together. I doubted her for just a minute, and I felt like I betrayed her. It was a selfish thought, and I'm ashamed of it. I love her so much, but I guess my old insecurities haven't been laid to rest just yet. I guess a lifetime of being used, unwanted, and unloved doesn't go away over night." he said sadly as he removed the rolls from the wok and added more to the hot oil.

"You big dummy," he heard someone say gently as he felt arms wrap around his waist. He stiffened for a second before relaxing in the arms of his beloved, as she laid her chin on his shoulder and lean her head into his. He closed his eyes as warmth filled him, driving the loneliness away once more, banishing it back to the far recesses of his heart and mind.

"I'm sorry, Asuka," he said sadly as he drew strength from her, his head hanging in shame.

"Shush," she whispered in his ear. "We all have our doubts, sometimes. We all have our fears. But you better remember this: You're mine, Ikari! I love you. I'll never leave you, and I'll never use you. Unless you wish to be used," she said mischievously as she nibble his ear.

"Asuka!" he gasped, turning several shades of red as she giggled in response. He quickly joined her as he turned in her arms and hugged her back, giving her a quick kiss. "Maybe later!" he added as he wiggled his eyebrows, causing her to redden in turn.

"You have got to quit taking Kaji lessons," Rei added, making the couple blush even more due to the fact they had forgotten she was there. Their jaws dropped at what she had said, bringing a small smile to her lips. All three then joined in a quick chuckle before returning to preparing the evening meal. They knew how cranky Heidi and Misato would be if they got home from shopping and dinner wasn't ready.

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_Thursday, D-Day minus two…_

"Come on, guys! I still have homework to do! I don't have time for this!" Shinji protested as he struggled forward, moving slowly so as not to stumble. The blindfold that covered his eyes was secured rather well, so there was no chance of it slipping, allowing him to see where he was being led.

"Tough!" barked Touji as he pushed Shinji forward, "You have more important things to do than sit on your butt and do schoolwork!"

"Yeah!" added Kensuke, "Much more important! We were sent to ensure the success of this mission!"

"And what the hell sort of mission is that?" Shinji retorted as he was pushed through a doorway, as the smell of alcohol and the blaring of music struck him suddenly.

"It's the worst sort of mission, Pilot Ikari!" Touji added as he continued to shove Shinji forward.

"That's 'Captain Ikari' to you, Pilot Suzahara," Shinji growled, clearly not very happy at being forced from his apartment. While he did have homework to do, he was really looking forward to spending the evening with Asuka. As of now, however, that plan had been ruined by his two idiot friends.

"Yeah, Touji, it's 'Captain Ikari'! Dumbass!" Kensuke chimed in, mirth clearly in his voice. His friend looked at him and gave him a dirty look.

"Okay, whatever! That doesn't change the fact that we have a mission!" Touji shot back as he guided the young Captain to a chair and sat him in it.

"What kind of mission?" Shinji barked, trying to make himself heard over the din that someone had obviously thought was music. Shinji was ready to go grab a cello and beat whoever had written the stuff over the head with it, then shove a trombone into a body orifice where the sun would never shine.

"Being the honor guard at a funeral, Captain," a familiar voice called out as Touji removed the blindfold, revealing the spectacle before Shinji. "Yours, to be exact."

_"Aw crap,"_ Shinji thought as he saw his best man standing before him, a rather crafty grin on his face. Kaji looked like a cat that had just eaten a canary as he stood back and let Shinji see what had been done for him.

"Surprise!!" yelled many voices, temporarily overpowering the noise..er..music that filled what was obviously a darkly lit nightclub. Looking around, Shinji saw a huge sign reading 'We'll miss you, Captain!', as well as many sympathy cards lining the tables, each and every one mourning the imminent passing of his bachelorhood. Tables were piled with various snacks and drinks, most of which were alcoholic in nature. He saw many of the male technicians he worked with at NERV, chief of which were Shigeru and Makoto. Commander Fuyutsuki sat at the same table as the two techs, slowly sipping from a glass and trying not to grimace at each and every sour note the band in the corner made.

Everyone stood and rushed forward to shake Shinji's hand and to offer their condolences, causing his eyes to bug out for a split second. Shinji had always hated crowds, and now this one was aimed directly at him. He would have given anything at that moment in time to be in the entry plug of Unit One and wading through the assembled sea of bodies. He looked up and saw Kaji standing at the front of the room, his arms crossed and laughing hardily at Shinji's discomfort.

_"He should laugh,"_ Shinji growled in his thoughts as he plastered a false smile on his face and greeted everyone who spoke to him and shook his hand._ "He's the one who set all this up! I'll get him back, somehow!"_

"Okay, okay! Everyone, give the good Captain some room!" Kaji called out as everyone took a seat and Touji lead Shinji to the front to sit before the assembled crowd. "Now, as you all know, including the obviously befuddled captain, that we are here this evening to mourn the passing of a fine young man. It is with grace that he marches forth toward his doom…" Suddenly the lights dimmed even more as a picture was projected on the back wall behind Shinji, showing Unit One buried head down, placed there rather unceremoniously by the Seventh Angel. Laughter burst out around the room as Shinji turned red-faced and glared at the unshaven gentleman who gave him a quick wink.

"It is with courage that he faces his dark destiny…," Kaji continued as another picture was projected, this one of Shinji running for his life from a extremely irate Second Child, who looked like she was going to pummel him to death with the book bag she had in her hand. Shinji remembered the incident, and shot Kensuke a withering glare. Kensuke merely smiled and turned back toward the presentation.

"It is with honor that he descends down the path of destruction…" said the pony-tailed man as a picture of a startled Shinji, clad only in a towel as he left the bathroom of his old apartment appeared before crowd.

"I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him…" Shinji muttered softly under his breath as he felt a hand placed on his shoulder.

"Which one?" Commander Fuyutsuki asked as he took a seat next to Shinji, "Kaji, Kensuke, or Touji?"

"All three," Shinji replied over the peals of laughter that reverberated throughout the club. The Commander smiled sagely.

"Well, at least they got your favorite band to play for you. I would have never thought you were a fan of theirs, I always pegged you for a classical guy." Shinji rolled his eyes at that.

"I am. _Orgasmo and the Flatulent Five_ are Touji's favorite band, not mine! I would have preferred a string quartet." Shinji replied as he cast a wary eye toward the so-called musicians who continued to strangle cats in the corner of the room.

"Ah. That explains why he was so insistent on them playing here. Perhaps I should arrange some extra sync tests for the Fourth Child. In the nude. In extra cold LCL. Along with a hearing test." Fuyutsuki said as he stuck his little finger in his ear, wriggling it to see if he could get the hearing to return to it sometime soon.

"I think that would be appropriate," Shinji replied with a devious grin, causing the older man to chuckle before he nudged Shinji to turn his attention back to the presentation.

"But in all seriousness, folks," Kaji said, the playfulness subdued, but the good spirits still clearly evident. Kaji turned and watched the pictures that were now progressing across the wall, either of Shinji in uniform, in a plug suit, or that of Unit One in combat. "We are here to wish a fine young man all the best in the world. He has taken up responsibilities that normal guys would run from in a heartbeat. He has laid his life down again and again to protect people who don't even know that he exists. He has reached out and captured the heart of a beautiful young lady, and he has freely given his mind, body and heart to her. He faced down an impossible beast to make sure that she would be happy and content." This brought a small cough from the furthest corner of the room. Kaji just smiled and continued on.

"He is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and one of the fiercest warriors any enemy has had the displeasure to come up against. He has helped and comforted the young, while bringing down both man and monster. So, it is to you, Captain Shinji Ikari, the Third Child, the Pilot of Evangelion Unit One, the Commander of NERV Combat Groups and the Elite Guards…"

_"Huh?"_ Shinji thought, _"When the hell did that happen?"_ He felt Fuyutsuki pat him on the shoulder as he gave him a quick wink.

"…betrothed of the Second Child, son of Yui and Gendo Ikari, and my friend, that we offer you this toast. Gentlemen!" Kaji called out as every man stood as one before the shocked young man and held out their drinks. "Salute!"

"HOO-RAH!!" all voices called out as one, shaking Shinji to the very core as he picked up his glass with a trembling hand and held the drink out to the assembled crowd. As one, in perfect sync, he and all the others downed their drinks and slammed the glasses on the tables. It was then that the party really started.

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_"Lord, I wish this was over," _Shinji typed into his cellphone as inconspicuously as he could. It wasn't like anyone would have noticed. The alcohol was flowing freely, and after a hour and a half, many in the party were feeling no pain_. "I miss you!" _

_"Aww, poor baby," _the reply came back, _"It can't be too bad! You should have seen what Misato did at the bridal shower! Your party can't be as bad as that!"_

_"You'd be surprised,"_ Shinji typed back. He nervously glanced at the stack of gifts his friends had given him. Some were practical, like the lacy blue garter that Kaji had given him to remove from Asuka's leg at the reception. Some were well intentioned, like the twenty different boxes of condoms he was supplied with, along with the tasteful medical and scientific manuals that were given to him to help with…_marital relations_. Some were jokes, like the large nose ring he was supplied with so Asuka could lead him by the nose easier. Some were embarrassing and somewhat distasteful, like just about everything Touji, Kensuke, and Shigeru gave him. _"The gifts are something else!"_

_"Like all the lingerie that Misato gave me? Or like the copy of the Kama Sutra that your sister gave me?"_ Asuka texted back.

_"Now, now. Rei was just being thoughtful," _he sent back, chuckling to himself.

_"What about Misato?" _came the reply. Shinji grinned as he typed his answer.

_"That's just Misato being Misato. Why haven't I seen any of the lingerie yet?" _Shinji could have sworn he heard three female screams after he sent the message off.

_"You wish! So, have the strippers shown up yet?" _Asuka sent back. Shinji turned ten shades of red as he looked around, watching everyone else having a good time. He nervously looked at Kaji, who turned and gave him a wink and a satisfied grin. Shinji felt his heart sink, knowing full well that his best man would not be happy until he had thoroughly embarrassed him before the night was over.

_"I don't think Kaji hired any strippers. I asked him not to do anything like that," _he typed, hoping that his best man did as he asked, but knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that his wishes were about to be unfulfilled.

_"We're talking about Kaji here. Knowing him and your pervy friends, you'll have a whole army of strippers." _Shinji couldn't tell if it was the wine he had been drinking or what Asuka had sent in her message that had him trembling slightly.

"Hey Shinji!" Kaji called out, "Get your ass back up here! The best part is about to start!" Kaji's shark grin made Shinji moan in defeat.

_"Gotta go, hon. Love you!" _he quickly typed as he took one last gulp of wine.

_"Me too," _was the last thing he saw before folding the phone closed and standing up. He slowly made his way back up to the place of 'honor'.

"All right, gentlemen! This is the moment you have all been waiting for! Touji! Kensuke! Please bring out the cake!" Kaji announced as he stood back and allowed the two younger men roll out the largest cake Shinji had ever seen.

_"Oh god! Not the 'Giant Cake with a Girl inside'! How cliché can you get?" _Shinji thought as the cake was placed not more than ten feet in front of him.

"Gentlemen! Music please!" the ringmaster known as Kaji ordered the musicians, causing the sound of dying felines to start up once more. Shinji was ready to eat his service pistol right then and there. Unfortunately, it was at home where he wished to be at this particular moment in time. "Shinji, it is now time to show you everything you are going to miss now that you are soon to leave the Hallowed Halls of Bachelorhood. Ladies, if you please!" Shinji cringed, fearing what was to come, and what Asuka would do to him for even looking at the other ladies. It wouldn't be his fault, but that wouldn't make any difference whatsoever.

"Hello boys!" a familiar voice rang out, followed quickly by a noise like that of an N2 mine going off, drowning out even the sounds of tortured cats. Whoops, catcalls, and whistles were going off all around Shinji. Opening his eyes ever so slightly, he was utterly stunned by the sight before him, as his jaw hit the ground.

Three beautiful young women were standing from the middle of the cake. Shinji could not believe the sight before him. The first one he saw was Misato, flashing her killer smile, dressed in a top hat, a black sleeveless leotard, a black jacket with tails, a white shirt collar with a black bowtie, white cuffs, black tights and black high heels. Her…_assets_…were on the verge of freeing themselves, much to the hopes and desires of the men present.

As she was assisted out the cake, Shinji looked upon the next one. This one shocked him beyond belief. Rei stood there, beaming with pride, a smile on her lips. She wore a white leotard like Misato's black one, except this one was went up to her throat. However, the diamond shaped cutout revealed more cleavage than her brother was comfortable with in a room full of men. Her light blue tights matched her hair perfectly, and, along with the white high heeled pumps, helped to set off her long legs. Shinji was more than willing to gouge out every pair of eyes in the room if they so much as looked at his sister in a lustful way. He was stopped, however, by the sight of the final lady.

Asuka stood at the top of the cake, wearing what appeared to be a very skimpy version of her plug suit. It was a red leotard, very open in the chest area, with red and black sleeves. She wore a white shirt collar held close with a green string tie, and the numbers '02' written on it in red. Her hair was tied back like it normally was, but with red ribbons this time instead of her A10 clips. Her coffee colored tights and red open toed pumps completed the outfit perfectly. Her bright blue eyes locked onto Shinji's as he stood and walked forward toward her. Other guys knew better than to approach the pair.

He took her gently by the waist and helped her off the cake, placing her ever so softly on the ground. Shinji wanted to take her in his arms so badly at that moment that it hurt, but Asuka had other plans. She gently pushed him backwards toward his chair, as Misato and Rei danced to the music being played by the now shell-shocked members of the band. She sat crosswise in his lap and snuggled up to him while everyone's attentions were turned to the other two ladies.

"Kaji?" Shinji asked, unable to look anywhere else but into her eyes.

"Kaji," she affirmed as she leaned forward and kissed him. "You like?"

"I like," he answered her back, taking a brief glance downward before her fingers under his chin brought his eyes back to hers. "Is that some of the lingerie you were telling me about?"

"Yup," she replied as her eyes twinkled, "But nowhere near all of it!"

"Really? Are going to model some of it for me tonight?" he asked mischievously, his own blue eyes twinkling. Asuka's eyes narrowed as a smirk crossed her lips.

"Maybe if you're a good boy, I will," she said as she crossed her legs and snuggled closer to him. Everyone else was ignoring them as Rei and Misato leapt upon the stage and began dancing with the guys in the band.

"But you don't like good boys!"

"I know," she grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows at him and batted her eyelashes. Shinji burst out in laughter as he and Asuka fell into their own little world while the party continued without them……

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_Technically Friday, D-day minus one…_

The party finally wound down around one a.m., which was too early for some folks, but seeing how the guest of honor and two of the dancers had school the next day, nobody really complained. Misato and Kaji were sitting next to each other at the table, while Asuka continued to sit in Shinji's lap, the two of them trading small kisses with each other. Rei sat chatting with one young man, before he took her hand and kissed it, saying farewell. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she looked on as the young man went back to the stage and picked up his gear, leaving for the night.

"Got yourself a nice catch, Rei?" Misato asked, getting ready to launch into full blown teasing mode. Shinji looked over to his sister and saw her blush. He had never seen her look so happy as she did at that moment.

"I think so, yes," she replied softly, a small smile gracing her lips. "His name is Ichigo, and he is the bass player for the band. He is nice, well-versed in poetry, and has a cute butt." You could have heard a pin drop as everyone assembled sat there in shock over what the usually quiet and reserved girl had just revealed. Shinji wondered if it was time to have a talk to Rei about guys, or if he needed to pay a visit to this Ichigo character.

"I would have thought you would be a drummer girl, Rei," Asuka suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence that had reined momentarily at the pale girl's comments.

"No, he was not very cute and had bad breath, Besides, he kept staring at my chest the whole time we talked. He must think I have brown eyes." Kaji promptly spit out the mouthful of soda he had just taken as Shinji started to have a violent coughing fit. Asuka patted him hard on the back while Misato wiped the soda that had managed to land on her arm when Kaji did his best impersonation of a shaken up beer can. Rei reached for her purse and started pulling little pieces of paper from various places in her costume and putting them inside. Everyone looked at her strangely, wanting some sort of explanation.

"I cannot believe so many men wanted me to have their phone numbers tonight. What am I supposed to do with these?" she asked, her crimson eyes begging for instructions. Shinji's eyes bugged out and began to look like he was going to hunt down each and every guy who talked to his sister.

"Come on girls, let's get these two babies home before they have a stroke," Misato said as she took Kaji's hand and lead him from the table toward the front door. "The clean up crew can take care of all of this. Are all Shinji's things in the car?"

"Yes, I made sure of it," Kaji replied as he handed the keys to Shinji's car to Misato. Shinji looked at him quizzically. "Sorry, kiddo, you've had wine to drink. You're not driving."

"Okay, I understand that, but who's going to drive you home?" Shinji asked while his lady slid from his lap and took his hand. Kaji just smiled.

"Gonna drive myself, Mr. Ikari," he replied as Shinji gave him a dirty look. "What? The only thing I've had to drink all evening is club soda. I never touched a drop of alcohol." They all looked at him incredulously as he chuckled and lead the group toward the door. "Does everyone have their clothes….."

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In the darkened far corner of the club, a lone occupant watched the scene unfold before him. He was troubled at the thought of so many members of NERV wanting to spend time with Rei. He did, however, look on with pride at seeing his son's accomplishments being shown to the crowd. It was a strange feeling for him, as he and the Third Child had never bonded in any way whatsoever. He began to like the feeling.

"Well, Commander, did you enjoy the party?" Fuyutsuki asked as he slid out from the shadows to stand next to his superior. Ikari turned and looked at Fuyutsuki, his eyes unreadable behind his tinted glasses, but with one eyebrow cocked upward.

"Such activities are irrelevant, sensei," the elder Ikari replied, his stone mask falling once more into place. "I merely attended to ensure that nothing happened to any of the pilots. There are still issues that have yet to be resolved involving the Second Child. It would have been foolish to allow such a gathering to go on unsupervised."

"Ah. So it had nothing to do with your only child getting married Saturday?" Fuyutsuki queried, knowing the true answer, but also knowing what answer his old student would give him.

"None whatsoever. The First and Second Children placed themselves in a precarious position doing what they did this evening. The baby within Pilot Soryu could have been injured had she fallen, or if the perpetrator tried to make contact with her again. He could have struck at the First Child as he did the Second." A small growl started deep within Ikari's throat, but he caught it and suppressed it in time.

"I see. Sound logic, Commander," Fuyutsuki answered back, getting a nod from the elder Ikari.

"I want the name of every man that spoke to Rei this evening and a complete background search completed as soon as possible. I especially want a thorough history of the bass player for the band," he said as he stood to leave, making sure that everyone else but the clean up crew had departed before he did.

"I understand, sir," the older man replied, mentally making a checklist of things that needed to begin first thing in the morning.

"And Fuyutsuki? Procure me a copy of the band's CD. I need it for…research purposes," Ikari called back over his shoulder as he left through a side door. Fuyutsuki's eyes shot up, but turned to do his commander's bidding.

End of Chapter Six.


	7. Chapter 7

-1Father

Part 7

_Friday Evening, D-Day minus one…_

"Are you sure he's really a minister, Shinji?" Asuka asked as she opened the door to their apartment, and was quickly followed in by the rest of the clan. Shinji just shook his head.

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied as he followed her into the living room. "Besides, you're the one who chose him. I thought you knew all about him!"

"Well, I went with Hikari's suggestion. He's the one that handled her oldest sister's wedding. If I had known he was so, well…"

"Laid back?" Shinji offered with a smile as he took a seat. Asuka looked at him for a second, her face contorted as she searched for the proper wording and failed.

"Well, that too. It's just, I don't know! He's not like any minister I've ever met! I mean, just look at him! He's a freaking giant!" the redhead remarked, confusion plain on her face.

"Come on, Asuka," Misato piped up as she walked in the room, followed closely by Kaji and Heidi, "Do you really think that we would allow anyone to perform the ceremony who wasn't NERV approved? You shouldn't judge people by their appearance!"

"Besides, he's a really great guy!," Heidi added as she took a seat on the sofa and crossed her legs, a small smile on her face. "He's funny, sweet, fun to be with, laughs easily, smiles all the time, has a really cute…"

"Aunt Heidi!" Asuka spun on her heel and confronted her aunt, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "You sitting next to him and flirting with him during the entire dinner didn't help much! What do we really know about this guy? He looks like a cross between Santa Claus and a Viking!" Heidi's eyes merely twinkled as she watched her niece's distress.

"Asuka, calm down!" Shinji said then quickly regretted it as she spun back toward him and pointed a finger in his direction.

"I'm NOT going to calm down, by God! This is our wedding we're talking about!" Asuka screeched, the fire in her eyes very evident. "He looks like he walked off the set of _Braveheart_! So help me, if he walks in tomorrow with a kilt and a claymore, somebody's going to die!" Shinji stood up and put his arms around the upset German, doing his best to comfort her. "I just want to be sure! I don't want anything to go wrong! What do we know about him?"

"Well, let's see," Kaji said, sitting back as Misato gave him a nod of approval. "Reverend Derrick K. Knight. Born on August 2, 1975. Citizen of the United States. Ordained in 1998 and moved to Japan soon after. Barely avoided death when Tokyo was bombed in 2000, and worked to help the refugees and survivors. Chosen by NERV as an official Chaplain in 2010 and moved to Tokyo-3. Officiated more weddings and funerals than I can count."

"Six foot five inches, two hundred and ninety-five pounds, long wavy brown hair, green eyes, full beard, nice smile, single, cute…" Heidi continued, her eyes clouded.

"Heidi!" Shinji said as he felt the girl in his arms start to tense up again. "You're not helping!" She gave Shinji an apologetic look.

"What's the deal with the long hair anyway? With braids at his temples? What kind of minister is he? Don't they all wear their hair short or something?" Asuka said as she looked up from Shinji's chest.

"He is different, I'll give you that," Shinji agreed as he looked at his lady, " but he seemed like a good guy when he counseled us after the rehearsal."

"I know, I know," Asuka said, still trembling a bit as she looked around the room. "Say, anyone seen Rei? I kinda wanted to go over last minute details, just to make sure we haven't forgotten anything."

"She told me that she had some sort of obligation to take care of before the night was over," Shinji replied, "She didn't seem to be looking forward to it. I hope there's nothing wrong." Asuka looked puzzled for a second before nodding her head in understanding.

"Don't worry, your sister can take care of herself. She'll be okay," Asuka reassured him as she freed herself from his embrace and sprawled out on the couch. "Sheesh! What a day! I can't wait to get to bed tonight!" She winked at Shinji who smiled and then quickly covered it up.

"Just think, Shinji! It's your last night as a free man!" Kaji teased as Misato handed him a soda and sat back down beside him. She playfully slapped his leg as she joined in on the teasing.

"Yeah! Enjoy it while you can! It's your last night to sleep alone, unless you manage to royally piss off your wife sometime in the future," Misato added, her eyes twinkling dangerously. "This may be our last chance to get it together!" Asuka and Shinji sat there, dumbfounded.

"WHAT?!" the two teenagers screamed in unison, eyes bulging and jaws dropped. Misato, Kaji, and Heidi chuckled at the reaction. "JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

"Geeze! It was just a joke!" Misato replied as she wiggled a finger in her ear, trying to get the ringing to stop. "You know I'd never do anything with Shinji!"

"That's not it, you moron! What do you mean it's Shinji's last night to sleep alone?" Asuka spat out, jumping to her feet with her hands on her hips.

"Misato, you know we've been sharing the same bed for a while now," Shinji added slowly, like he was trying to explain something difficult to a small child. "You haven't had a problem with it so far."

"It's not that, Shinji," Heidi stepped in before all hell could break loose, as in Asuka starting to kick Misato's shapely rear, "It supposed to be bad luck for the groom to see the bride on their wedding day BEFORE the wedding. That's exactly what would happen when you two wake up in the morning. Sorry, it's tradition." Asuka and Shinji were not happy, that much could be seen. They hadn't slept without each other since this whole situation started.

"Uh, so, Shinji! Did you have any problems getting out of school this morning?" Misato asked, trying to switch gears and get everyone to relax. Shinji shook his head and smiled a tad.

"No problems, but you should have seen the teacher's face when a quarter of his class got up and left before lunch. I still don't think he understands that Asuka and I are getting married. His expression at seeing that we were going to be out for a week was…_interesting_…to say the least." Shinji said as he remembered the confused look on the elderly teacher's face.

"I don't think he understood the paperwork that Shinji gave him, except the excuses to leave early," Asuka added, disgust clear on her face. "There's no telling what's going to happen when we come back from Okinawa!"

"Speaking of which, what do you to plan on doing there for a week? I guess diving's out of the question with the baby and all, and seeing how Shinji can't swim. Anything else planned?" Misato asked. Asuka smirked, which caused Misato to blush. Shinji noticed this and blushed as well.

"Stop it, you pervert! Who says Shinji can't swim?" Asuka replied, "I taught him in a weak moment last summer!" Misato's jaw dropped while Heidi and Kaji just snickered. Misato turned to the other two adults in the room.

"What? You knew?" Misato growled at Kaji, who began to laugh heartily.

"Yeah, I saw them in the NERV pool one day. I must say, Shinji's a better man than I am! If you were wearing the same outfit Asuka was, I would never be able to concentrate on the lessons and I would have drowned!" Kaji laughed before receiving a pillow to his face from a fuming redhead.

"You should laugh, Kaji! That's the same outfit you helped me buy!" Asuka said as she crossed her arms.

"I know!" Kaji continued to laugh, "but you definitely grew into it, and almost out of it! Are you sure you weren't trying to give Shinji a free show?" Asuka turned her head and huffed. She wasn't about to let them all know that was exactly what she was trying to do. Like she said, it was a moment of weakness.

The night wound down, as Kaji took his leave and Heidi and Misato retreated to their rooms. Shinji went to the linen closet and pulled out a spare pillow and blankets and made the sofa up for his lonely night of sleep. He sat down at one end of the sofa as the door to his and Asuka's room slid open, revealing a vision in red.

Asuka was wearing one of the more modest pieces of lingerie that she had received from Misato at the shower. It was a red satin nightgown that just barely covered Asuka's rear-end. Shinji had to pick his jaw back up and put his eyes back in his head as his Red-Headed Goddess walked slowly up to him, a smile crossing her lips as she curled up in his lap and gave him a deep, soul-searing kiss.

"I can so get used to this," Shinji said as he gave her a kiss in return. The two sat there and merely snuggled and held onto one another for a while before Asuka turned to him and looked deep into his steel blue eyes as he ran his hand over her silky thigh.

"Shinji, have you thought about what we're going to do on our honeymoon?" she asked, knowing by his responses that he did, but she felt the hesitation in his heart.

"I have," he began as he lost himself in her eyes, fearing what he would see, but seeing nothing but love.

"Do you want to…uh...what I mean is…do you…desire…uh..._Ach Gott_!" Asuka stammered, feeling extremely embarrassed. Shinji placed a finger on her lips. His hands were trembling, almost as much as she was.

"I want to make love to you so badly it hurts," Shinji told her in a calm, clear voice, "As certain parts of my anatomy can attest to!" He and Asuka both started grinning and giggling like fools, before Shinji became somber once more.

"The only thing I'm worried about is right here," he said as he placed his hand on her belly, causing warm feelings to spread throughout her being. "I don't know if having…_relations_…will hurt her or you." Asuka saw the deep caring and love in his eyes as he showed his genuine concern for her and their child. "If I have to wait until she's born, and you're feeling better for me to make love to my wife, then that's what I'll do."

"I love you, Shinji Ikari," Asuka replied as she snuggled closer to him, sharing his warmth.

"I love you too, hon," he said as he held her tighter, afraid to let her go, fearing he was in a dream that would vanish in the morning sun. He didn't want this night to end.

"Well, I talked to my doctor the last time I went in for a prenatal checkup," Asuka finally spoke up, " and I was going to save this as a surprise for tomorrow, but I'm going to spoil it and tell you anyway! He said, as long as we're careful, there should be no problem with us having _relations_, as you so elegantly put it." She turned to him with a grin larger than Unit One's. He looked extremely happy, but nervous at the same time.

"I've…uh…never…well, you know," Shinji stammered, as The Coward snuck up and gave The Man a sucker punch from behind before running for the hills with his eternal adversary right on his heels. Shinji blushed.

"Shhh, I know. I wish I could say the same," Asuka replied as the light in her eyes dimmed just a fraction, "but seeing how I don't remember a damn thing, I think we're both in the same boat! Did Dr. Akagi talk to you about it?"

"She tried," Shinji began as his blush got even deeper, "but she didn't seem very comfortable around me for some reason. Misato talked to me later about it, and so did Kaji. I never thought I would see either of those two blush about anything!" Asuka giggled.

"I think it's because they think of us as their children, not just as pilots! Can you imagine what it's going to be like to give our children that talk?" Asuka saw his face brighten at the thought of their future children, then darkened just a bit.

"I feel sorry for the first guy our daughter brings home to meet us! I don't know if I'd be sitting their sharpening a sword or if I'd take him to work and show him what kind of toy I drive!" Shinji replied as his lady began to laugh even harder, tears pouring down her face. He looked at her, smirking.

"What?" she asked, puzzled by the knowing look on his face.

"Just keep laughing, lady! I'd hate to see what you would do to any girl our sons may bring home!" Shinji began to laugh as her face darkened somewhat, thinking about the future.

"I'd probably tape her to the front of Unit 2 and take her for a joy ride! If she could handle that, then maybe she would be worthy to date my son!" Asuka growled as Shinji continued to laugh, holding her tighter. The growl stopped and the purring began as Shinji began to nuzzle her neck.

"Do you have any idea how good you make me feel? Especially when you do that?" she asked as she melted further into his arms.

"I have a pretty good idea!" he replied as he continued to stroke her thigh, then worked his way up and patted her rump. "Probably about as good as you make me feel when you nibble on my neck. By the way, if you must give hickies, either make them a little lower or a little smaller! I had a hell of a time today explaining things to the teacher today when he saw it! I had to tell him I got it during training!"

"Oops!" she exclaimed as she looked at her handiwork that was displayed on his neck for the entire world to see. "I never heard you complain before!" she giggled as he continued to knead her butt. "Naughty!"

"Sure am!" Shinji wiggled his eyebrows as the two young people leaned toward each other, their lips gently brushing together, then locking into a deeper kiss.

After another half hour or so of kissing and cuddling, Asuka made her way to their room for the night, leaving a very frustrated, lonely and frightened Shinji to sleep on the sofa. It took him a very long time to wind down enough so that sleep could descend upon him. His thoughts were on the lovely lady that slept alone in their room. He wondered if she was as miserable and lonely as he was, but he hoped that she wasn't. He never wished any sort of misery on her whatsoever. His answer came right around 2 a.m. when he felt someone shaking his shoulder.

"Baby?" Asuka said in a small and quiet voice. "I can't sleep. I don't give a damn about tradition and bad luck! We need you in bed with us, please?" He could feel her trembling as she continued to shake him awake. Shinji quietly sat up and pulled her down into his lap, holding her tightly. After sprinkling her head with light kisses, he felt the trembling cease. Standing up and scooping her into his arms, which caused her to gasp in surprise, he carried her to their room, laid her in their bed and closed the door to the world.

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_Saturday, D-Day (here we go!)…_

"Damn, Kensuke! What the hell is wrong with you? You look worse than Dead-Man-Walking here!" Touji asked as he stuck a finger down his collar in a vain attempt to keep from feeling like he was being hanged. He pointed a thumb over to Shinji, who was doing everything he could to keep calm, cool, and collected. It helped that The Man had The Coward bound in chains and dangling over the edge of a cliff. The nervous energy playing through his system, however, kept making him want to jump around on the balls of his feet and bounce off the walls like Daffy Duck. The mental image of that brought a small smile to Shinji's face.

"You wouldn't believe it, Touji," Kensuke replied as he slowly slipped his tuxedo jacket on and slowly rotated his right arm at the shoulder. He winced and tried to work it in the opposite direction with the same results.

"Try me," his friend answered, causing Kensuke to look around for a second, like he was trying to come up with an answer.

"Uh, let's just say that when the sales people tell you a stun gun shoots one hundred thousand volts, it's best to believe them!" the sandy-haired otaku said as he stood still for Kaji to help him with his bowtie. Shinji and Touji looked at him incredulously.

"You got hit by a stun gun?" Shinji's jaw dropped as he looked at his young friend. "Did you get jumped by someone? Did you call the law?" Kensuke shook his head violently as he tried to stutter a reply.

"N-n-no! It wasn't like that!" Kensuke stammered as he held his hands out, wincing once more. "UH…I left mine in my backpack from the last time I camped out! It…it must have gone off last night when I picked it up and put it in my closet!"

"Those things are dangerous, Kensuke!" Kaji admonished, a sly smile on his face. "I ought to know, I've been hit by a few before by some rather…_unfriendly_…characters. A few of them were ladies! You didn't happen to try anything with any girls last night after the dinner, did you?" Kaji raised an eyebrow as he studied the results of his efforts. A perfect bow, as usual. Nobody noticed Rei walking through the door.

"NO! No! N-n-nothing like that!" the sandy-haired lad answered as Rei passed behind him on her way to her brother.

"Bzzt!" Rei said softly as she passed, causing Kensuke to jump three feet in the air and whirl around, wide-eyed and sweating. Rei merely kept walking and stood before her brother, who's eyes bulged as he saw how gorgeous his sister looked. The dress was light blue, and almost identical to the one that Asuka had chosen for herself. That and the light hint of makeup that she wore drove Shinji to worry.

_"I'm going to have to beat the guys back with a stick after they see her today!" _he thought to himself miserably, before he smiled and thought of how proud he was that his sister had come so far. "You look beautiful, Rei!" he complimented. A slight blush rose to her cheeks as he gazed upon her face.

"Thank you, Shinji," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a big hug before pulling back and looking into his steel blue eyes. "You look very handsome, yourself! Asuka is a very lucky girl!" She was pleased to see that this caused him to blush, as well.

"How's Asuka doing?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. When they had awakened that morning, she made a mad dash for the bathroom, followed closely by her startled fiancé. Shinji knew it was nerves mixed in with morning sickness, which had made an appearance once more in the days leading up to the wedding.

"She is fine, although her mood swings are quite interesting to watch. Misato and Heidi have had to fix her makeup several times since we got here," Rei answered as Shinji smiled slightly and shook his head. He thought that with a natural beauty such as Asuka's, makeup ( or as Touji calls it: _war paint_) would only serve to mask it, like using spray-paint on a DaVinci. "She wanted me to come by and see how you are doing. She is worried, it seems."

"Please tell her I'm fine," Shinji replied as he hugged her once more. "Thank you for being there for both of us, Rei. I just wish time would stop slowing down! I swear, every time I look at the clock, it's gone backwards!"

"Have you seen the minister? Asuka said something about not wanting him to look like a highlander, or such. I did not understand what she meant, but I promised to see." Rei asked as she glanced around and noticing how nice Kaji, Touji, and Kensuke looked in their tuxedoes.

"Worry not, Lady Ayanami! I promised to leave my kilt at home this fine day!" boomed a massive voice as everyone turned to see Rev. Knight walk into the room, followed closely by Commander Fuyutsuki, who look splendid in his own tuxedo.

Shinji was relieved to see that the Reverend did not, in fact, walk in wearing a kilt. The mountain of a man who stood before him was wearing a black robe, trimmed in red. A red sash with tiny black writing of some sort was draped over his shoulders, and he had obviously trimmed his beard earlier into a more manageable goatee. His long hair was pulled back and held in place by the braids at his temples, which were also pulled back and joined at the back of his head. The only signs of jewelry on the man was the small pewter cross that hung from his neck and the silver chain that had been woven into his left braid.

"Asuka will be very relieved to hear this, Reverend," Rei said as she bowed to the man and turned to take her leave. The Reverend, on the other hand, had other ideas. Kaji and Fuyutsuki noticed the gleam that danced in his eyes.

"As for my claymore, I promise not to use it until after the ceremony!" The Reverend laughed as Rei stopped dead in her tracks. She turned her head and gave him a worried look, as she was dreading telling this to the already stressed redhead that occupied the other room. The Reverend's laugh boomed even louder as he noticed her distress.

"I am sorry, Lady Ayanami! 'Twas merely a jest on my part and a poor one at that! Please forgive me, and give my best to the bride!" he laughed deeply as Rei shook her head slightly at the crazy giant and left as soon as she could. The Reverend's laugh and smile were infectious and soon, the atmosphere within the room had lightened immeasurably.

"So, gentlemen! The time draws nigh and soon we shall send the condemned to his fate! I do believe that you have something you wish to present, Lord Ikari, before we walk the last mile?" The Reverend teased as he turned the floor over to Shinji, who smirked at him over the teasing.

"Er, thank you, Reverend!" Shinji said as he stood before his friends, the strange gaggle that they were. He reached into his duffle back and produced several wrapped packages. "The Reverend tells me that it is tradition for the groom to give his groomsmen gifts before the wedding. So Kaji, here's yours," He said as he handed his best man the small box. The look on his face was priceless as he opened the box.

"Uh, thanks Shinji!" Kaji said, somewhat nervously as he placed the package within his tuxedo pocket. Inside was a note, reminding him of what he had promised Misato, along with a pair of small gold bands that Shinji knew he and Misato had looked at in the recent past. There were three words inscribed on each band, one saying_, I promise, Misato_, and the other saying the same, but with Kaji's name instead. Each one had a small gold chain running through it., so as to be worn around the neck. "How did you know?"

"You two talk louder than you think you do at night," Shinji replied with a crooked smile. Kaji's jaw was still on the ground.

" I promise not to let you down, Shinji! But you didn't have to…"

"Yes, I did! You brought the love of my life here, and I'm just returning the favor! Besides, everyone needs a swift kick in the pants every once in a while, and we all have gotten tired of you two dancing around the subject, even though you asked her months ago. The mood won't get any better than it is now, so if not today, then sometime very, very soon!" Shinji replied, then added with a wicked grin. "Besides, I really need to plan _your_ bachelor party!" Kaji laughed so hard tears formed, then he went over and gave him his best man-hug.

"I promise," he whispered to Shinji, who nodded.

"I'm just tired of seeing you two hurt and lonely, that's all," Shinji replied as they broke the hug, and Shinji returned to giving out the gifts.

"Here you go, Touji!" Shinji said as he presented his friend with a larger box. Much to Touji's surprise, there were reservations for two in it to the restaurant that Shinji and Asuka had gone to the night Shinji had proposed, along with certificates for a limo, a dozen red roses and something wrapped up in a paper bag. "I thought it would be nice for you to be able to take Hikari out for the time of her life one night." Shinji's evil grin returned as he saw Touji's reaction to what was in the paper bag.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" a very shocked Touji screamed as he pulled the box of condoms from the bag they had resided in. Everyone in the room, especially Shinji and the Reverend, burst out in laughter at the look on Touji's face. A sheepish grin spread on his face as he realized that they were just a joke.

"Just use them if you need them, Touji!" Shinji laughed as he wiped tears from his eyes. He was afraid he was going to have to pick the Reverend up from the floor if he continued to laugh as much as he was.

"All right, Kensuke! It's your turn!" Shinji said as he handed a package to his otaku friend. Kensuke's eyes beamed when he tore the paper from it, revealing a thick book titled: _How to Pick Up Chicks!_ Kensuke immediately opened it up to sample it's wisdom.

"Cool! Thanks Shinji! Hey check this out! Step One: Open door. Step Two: Chase out the rooster…WHAT THE HELL?," he yelled as he continued to flip the pages, showing pictures of guys running around chasing chickens across their coops. This time, the Reverend did fall to the floor, laughing so hard that he could barely breath. He was followed quickly by the rest of the men in the room, even Fuyutsuki, which surprised everyone. Kensuke merely stood there and fumed.

"Don't…_heehee_…don't get mad, Kensuke! It's…it's…_Hah_!…it's just a joke!" Shinji wheezed as he got back to his feet, "Check out the back of the book, it'll make up for it!" With that Kensuke opened the back, the contents of which caused his jaw to hit the deck.

"Holy Shit! Oops! Sorry, Reverend!" Kensuke blurted out as he gazed lovingly on the blueprints that unfolded from the book. The look on his face was akin to that of a man's lustful leer at a nude centerfold. "Blueprints to the EVAs!"

"Shhh! Not too loud! They're just bare outlines and such! I couldn't supply you with any classified stuff, but I had hoped this would be alright," Shinji replied as he looked at his friend who had, to Shinji's amazement, tears in his eyes.

"Wow! This is great, man! You're the best, Shinji!" Kensuke said as he lovingly refolded the schematics and placed the gift into his duffle bag with great care. Shinji shook his head and smiled at how strange of a friend he had. He then turned to Fuyutsuki.

"This is for you, sir," Shinji said as he handed Fuyutsuki a small box, almost the same size as the one he gave Kaji. "I know that you're giving Asuka away, but I still wanted to include you just like you were one of my groomsmen."

"Thank you, Shinji, I'm honored! If this is a ring, I'm afraid I have no one to give it to," the white-haired man chuckled as he opened the box and stared quizzically at the small memory chip stored within. "Uh, what exactly is this, Captain?"

"Uh, well, since you knew my mother so well I thought you might like it. I did some research and got a hold of as many people as I could who knew my mother when she was a student. My father didn't do as good a job erasing her as he thought. On that chip, you'll find recordings of her music, pictures of her, as well as some video of concerts she was in as a cellist. Hours of it. I discovered that my mother was very popular with her friends!" Shinji said with a sad little smile as he tried to bring up memories of her. He saw the shocked look on Fuyutsuki's face as the older man held on to the box as if it was the most delicate thing ever created.

"Um, er, Thank you, Shinji!" Fuyutsuki said past the painful lump that had formed in his throat. The images on this small chip were almost as valuable to him as they were to the young man who stood before him at this instance in time. "Do you have…?"

"Several, sir. I just hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I shall," the Commander replied, coughing softly. "Well, gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I believe that there is a certain young lady who awaits me. I'll see you in a little while, Shinji." With that, the old teacher took his leave.

"Alright guys, if all the frivolity is over with," the Reverend announced with twinkle in his eye, "It's almost time! My lord, are you prepared to be enslaved?" The big man adjusted his sash as he looked Shinji squarely in the eyes. Shinji did not flinch as he gave his answer.

"Sir, I was enslaved the moment I met her, and do not regret it one little bit!"

"Excellent! Just the answer I expected!" the minister boomed, laughing in such a way it reminded everyone of Santa Claus. Touji looked at him strangely, then opened his mouth to ask a question.

"Excuse me, sir? I was just wondering…what purpose does your sash serve? Is it just decoration, or does it have some sort of significance?" the taller teenager asked, looking kind of perplexed. He looked at the long red sash, which reached from one knee, over his neck, and back down to the other knee. The Reverend grinned.

"It has a very meaningful purpose, good sir! It keeps my neck warm!" Rev. Knight laughed, seeing confusion on the young man's face. "I can wrap it around my head too, if I want to go around and play ninja!"

"Uh, okay," Touji answered back, his eyes glazing over, "but what's with the funny little writing on it? That's not Japanese."

"It's Norse Runes. A friend of mine in Iceland sent this to me as a present just prior to Second Impact. Some of my favorite sayings are embroidered upon it!" Now Kensuke came forward and began to study the writing.

"Well, I see the Lord's Prayer, John 3:16, Psalms 23, and ….what the heck_? Pain is Temporary, Glory is Eternal, Chicks dig Scars! I will not Fear. Fear is the mind killer…"_

"I never said all my favorite sayings were from the Bible, did I?" The Reverend commented with a lopsided grin as he lined the men up in proper order and then sent Touji and Kensuke out one door to meet up with the bridesmaids, then lead Shinji and Kaji through the side door to the chapel.

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"You're sure he's not in a kilt, right Rei?" Asuka stammered as she continued to pace dressing room, her color nowhere near what it was normally. The anxiety of the upcoming wedding, now merely moments away, was really doing a number on her normally calm demeanor. She was still pale from being sick earlier in the day, as her baby decided that it didn't like how nervous it's mother was. Misato and Heidi trailed Asuka across the room, holding up the train of her dress so the agitated bride-to-be wouldn't get all entangled within it and fall flat on her face. "No sign of any sword?"

"He is not wearing a kilt, but a black and red robe instead," Rei replied as she tried to get the nervous redhead to relax. "Nor did I see any sword." Asuka's bouquet was shaking so badly that it sounded like a den full of angry rattlesnakes. A knock on the door startled everyone.

"Hello? Is everyone decent?" Commander Fuyutsuki asked as he slowly peeked around the door before being motioned in by Heidi. "Asuka, you look lovely today!" Asuka stopped her pacing and beamed at the white haired gentleman before her.

"Thank you, Commander!" she answered as she went and gave Fuyutsuki a hug, trying to draw strength from the old man.

"Not _commander_ today, Asuka. Just call me Kozo," Fuyutsuki replied, which got him another hug. "So, are we ready?" Asuka shook her head.

"There is still one more thing to do," Heidi said as she and the other ladies gathered around. "Something old…" she recited as she held out the white cameo that had been in Asuka's family for ages and placed it around her niece's neck.

"Something new…" Hikari continued as she handed Asuka her engagement ring, which she then placed on her right hand, seeing how the ring finger on her left hand would be occupied soon.

"Something borrowed…" Misato added as she removed her silver cross from around her neck and placed it on Asuka, who's eyes began to well up with tears. Asuka gave Misato her version of a Misato-sized bear hug, causing the lavender haired woman to cry. "I just want it back when you're done, okay?" She teased as they both dabbed their eyes dry.

"Something blue," Rei finished as she held out the garter that Kaji had given Shinji. Asuka raised the hem of her dress and slipped the garter up her thigh almost to the top of the white stockings she was wearing especially for Shinji. Fuyutsuki saw this and quickly turned around, causing Asuka to blush.

"Sorry, Kozo," she apologized sheepishly as quickly dropped hem of her dress. Fuyutsuki continued to keep his back turned as he cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to embarrass you!"

"It alright, Asuka, it just means you've accepted me into this clan," he replied as he turned back around to face her, his face still a bit red. "It was, however, a very shapely leg!" Fuyutsuki said with a crooked grin, causing Asuka to blush once more.

"Okay, now I'm ready!" Asuka said with confidence as she blew out some air and relaxed her shoulders, trying to look like she was calming down. It fooled no one.

"Really?" Heidi asked, her arms crossed and tapping her foot. Asuka wilted.

"No," she said weakly, as her bouquet began to shake again. Fuyutsuki placed his hand on hers, patting it gently.

"Don't worry, my dear," he said gently and warmly, "Just remember that there is a good man who loves you more than life itself waiting for you at the end of the aisle. Just ignore everyone else and you'll be fine."

"Thank…thank you," she stammered back, calming somewhat at the older gentleman's touch and words.

"Okay, Heidi, if you'll head out and take your seat, we can begin. Rei, Hikari, the boys are waiting outside the door for you. Go ahead and line up with them, Misato will be right behind you. Asuka and I will follow." Fuyutsuki said in his best professor's voice as everyone scurried to follow his instructions. Soon, everyone had left the dressing room and had lined up outside the chapel's front doors, ready for the main event to begin.

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Shinji looked like he was ready to defecate in his pants. His face went through colors faster than the color wheel at a dance club, first red, white, green, blue, then normal, then starting all over again. Despite the confidence he had felt all this time, he was still scared, and scared badly. Much to his relief, his best man noticed, as did the minister, who did their best to cheer him up and calm him down. It helped. Some. Kind of.

"There…there is a lot of people here, huh? Kaji?" Shinji muttered out the side of his mouth as he scanned the crowd. Just about everyone he knew or had seen at NERV was in attendance, with one notable exception. Even Dr. Akagi was there, sitting next to Maya Ibuki. Shigeru Aoba was on her other side, patting her hand as she wiped tears from her eyes. Akagi was glancing around, as if she were looking for someone, but kept turning back to the front with a disappointed look on her face. Makoto Hyuga sat with the other two bridge bunnies and kept passing tissues to Shigeru to hand to Maya. Dr. Akagi just rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Yes, there is, Shinji! Just imagine, your wedding is the social event of the year!" Kaji replied as he noticed the younger man's color actually get paler. "Actually, it not that bad! I've been to some humdingers in my day!" Kaji chuckled as Shinji did everything he could to clamp down on his nervousness.

"Do you have the rings?" Shinji asked as he fought the urge to start bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. Kaji chuckled louder.

"Yes, Shinji, for the tenth time. I have the rings," Kaji reassured as he patted the pocket of his jacket. Shinji and Asuka didn't know anyone who had a younger brother to act as ring bearer, so Kaji agreed to carry the rings for them.

"Are you sure?" Shinji asked once more, rather desperately, until he felt a large hand land on his shoulders, filling him with calm.

"Do not worry, young lord," Rev. Knight said soothingly in Shinji's ear, "Just remember why you are here and forget everyone else. Just think of how much you love your young lady, and all will be well. Trust me, I have done a few of these in my time, and thus far everything is going great!" He felt Shinji relax under his grip, as the words sank in.

Shinji looked around some more and was impressed with the arraignments for the wedding. The thing that brought the biggest smile to his face was the string quintet that sat over to the side and played several gentle tunes, helping to relieve the tension that was in the air, the same tension that was present in all weddings. He noticed several people that he had no clue would show up, as well. Ichigo, the bass player for _Orgasmo and the Flatulent Five _was there, obviously invited my Rei. Thomas Sky was present, which was all well and good since his restaurant was the one catering the event. Mr. Takayamagi was present as well, which surprised and delighted Shinji to no end. He knew Asuka must have sent him an invitation, though he had no way of knowing how Asuka had found out about him. Suddenly, Shinji's breath caught in his throat, as he watched Heidi walk down the aisle and take her place on the bride's side of the chapel, in the space reserved for the mother of the bride.

"Here we go, young lord," the Reverend said as the musicians began to play _Air_ by Bach, causing Shinji and Kaji to stand straighter. "Good choice, by the way, but I do prefer Mozart myself!" the Reverend chuckled, causing him to go up a notch in Shinji's book.

Time slowed down as he watched his sister and Kensuke appear at the door and slowly march down the aisle arm-in-arm before they reached the stairs, where they split from one another and took their places furthest from Shinji. Next, Touji and Hikari walked in, looking like the perfect couple. There was a contented smile on their faces that Shinji had never seen before. He could tell Touji was doing his best to keep from limping and bumping into Hikari. The two of them walked in perfect step with one another as they, too, took their places on each side of Shinji.

The next person to walk down the aisle, with her bouquet in her hand, was Misato as Maid of Honor. Kaji's heart leapt to his throat at the sight before him, as she was a vision of beauty in her bridesmaid's dress, with the light shining brightly from the tears of happiness in her eyes. She looked up at Shinji and gave him a smile and a wink, then looked toward Kaji with hope and love in her eyes. Doing something completely out of character, she shyly looked toward the ground as she continued to walk toward the alter. Something inside Kaji snapped, as he felt his heart go toward the woman he had known for years would have to be his wife.

"Get ready to plan the party," Kaji whispered out of the side of his mouth, his will resolute and strong. Shinji grinned.

"Gotcha," he whispered back as Misato made her way up the steps and took her place, glancing sideways over to the best man, who flashed her his most genuine smile. Suddenly the music stopped, before starting once more, this time the more familiar _Wedding March_ drifting throughout the Chapel as everyone stood and turned their attention to the doors at the back.

A single tear forced its way out of the corner of Shinji's eye as he stared at the sight before him. No words ever written my man could express how he felt as he watched his Red-Headed Goddess marching down the aisle on Fuyutsuki's arm, all her attention, love and emotion focused squarely on him. She was now his Goddess in White, and he would gladly fall and worship at her feet for the remainder of his life, freely giving up his own if that was her wish. He would slay every Angel and Demon in Heaven and Hell if it would please her, and God help anyone or anything that ever threatened his beloved. He felt as if he could sprout wings right now and soar amongst the clouds, with her in his arms. That was how free and uplifted his heart felt as she slowly closed in on the altar.

Slowly, she and Fuyutsuki mounted the steps and marched up to the altar, where Fuyutsuki shook Shinji's hand then placed Asuka's hand within Shinji's. The white haired gentleman walked back down the steps and took his place next to Heidi, as Asuka and Shinji gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. She saw the tears that poured joyfully down his face and smiled so sweetly that it caused his heart to swell to ten times it's normal size.

"Stop it, dummy, before you get me going!" she whispered to him as she saw the look of sheer joy on his face.

"Too late!" he whispered back as he noticed the same tears streaming down her face as well. She smiled back as the music stopped and they turned to the Reverend. The bridesmaids and groomsmen shuffled over to the sides, allowing Asuka, Shinji, and the Reverend to become the center of everyone's attention.

"You two ready?" the Reverend whispered as he saw the looks they were giving each other before turning to him and nodding. "Most excellent!"

"My dear friends," the Reverend boomed as he spread his hands to all in the chapel, " we have come here on this fine day to witness the joining of Asuka and Shinji in the bonds of holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable amongst all men, and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and solemnly. It is into this holy estate that these two young people, brave warriors and loving friends both, have now come to be joined. If there is any person here that can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now, or hold their peace forever more!" The Reverend's attention seemed to be focused on a spot toward the back of the chapel, but when no voice was raised in protest, he smiled, as did the couple before him as he continued with the service.

"Now, who gives this woman on this day to be wedded to this man?" The Reverend asked the assembly as Fuyutsuki stood up, tall and proud, with a serene look on his face.

"Her aunt and I do, Reverend," he said then sat back down beside Heidi and took her hand, comforting her. Heidi looked up at the Reverend, a smile on her face despite the tears, as he beamed back at her. The Reverend nodded to them both as he opened a book before him and began to read.

"_But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take…It is indeed a fearful gamble…Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature._

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take…If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation…It takes a lifetime to learn another person…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected." 

"That is what one of my favorite authors wrote about marriage in her book_, The Irrational Season._ She was right, it is the nature of true love to create. A marriage is something that is created. It must be nurtured, it must grow, for that is the way of Nature. If there is no growth, there is naught but stagnation and death. Unlike what many people may think, marriage is not a prison sentence. It the freely giving of oneself: mind, body and soul. It is knowing that you cannot live another day, another hour, another moment without that one special person in your life." The Reverend smiled as he looked at the young people before him.

"It is a risk, but one that takes the utmost in courage with the greatest of rewards. The sheer joy of holding that one special person knows no bounds, the knowledge that the two of you will build a life together which is so much greater than the life anyone could build alone is greater than all the knowledge of facts and things within God's great universe. The two become one, two worlds become an universe unto itself. It is this universe that Asuka and Shinji have come together to create this day. These two young people, whom others would call children, have laid down their lives time and time again for the benefit of others, never once looking back or regretting their actions in service to their fellow humans. Now is their time, now is the time for us to witness their happiness, as they go forth and build a life together. A life based on mutual love and mutual respect, not on the vulgarities of the flesh, not in the lust for things, or the wanting of that which is truly beyond our grasp." Once more, this last part was directed to the back of the chapel, though no one noticed.

"Their love knows no bounds, and it will only continue to grow as the years pass. The vows you take this day are binding and strong, stronger than any force that Mankind in all it's arrogance has ever created. It is a bond strong and true, of which no power within Heaven, Hell, or Terra may split asunder, for it is a bond brought forth by the Creator himself." The Reverend said this last line with deadly seriousness, before his eternal smile returned once more. "Now, it is time for the couple to say a few things, and give this long winded minister a rest!" Light laughter echoed throughout the Chapel, breaking the tension that had built up. Asuka and Shinji laughed as they turned to face each other.

"I, Shinji Ikari, take you, Asuka Soryu, to be my wedded Wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Shinji said as he looked deep within her eyes and held her trembling hands. He smiled as he finished up the vows as he mouthed "_I love you" _to her.

_"I love you too,"_ Asuka mouthed back as she began her vows, ""I, Asuka Soryu, take you, Shinji Ikari, to be my wedded Husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Her smile as she finished outshone the Sun. Together, they continued to hold hands as they came to end of the vows.

"Beg me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your family will be my family, and your belief will be my belief. And where you die, I will die, and there shall my body be buried. May the Creator do with me and more if anything but death parts us." they said in perfect unison, brings goose bumps to the Reverend's arms, for he had never heard anyone ever speak in unison so perfectly. It was their synch training coming forth once more. The Reverend cleared his throat as he once more spoke from his book. It was another favorite passage of his, this one from _The Prophet_.

_" Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.  
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:  
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.  
To know the pain of too much tenderness.  
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;  
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.  
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;  
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;   
To return home at eventide with gratitude;  
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips."_

"And now, it is time for Asuka and Shinji to bring forth and exchange the symbols of their love and commitment to each other," Rev. Knight announced as Kaji reached within his jacket pocket and placed the two rings on the closed book in the Reverend's hands. Asuka and Shinji were trembling rather violently now, the rustling of her bouquet loud within the silent chapel. "Gold. Most precious of metals, less than nothing in the eyes of the Creator, but symbolizing the value we place on love. A Ring, a perfect circle. An eternal loop, representing the endless and timeless love these two share for one another. Shinji, take this ring, place it on Asuka's finger, and speak the words that lay within your heart."

"Asuka," Shinji said past the lump in his throat, not caring if the tears streaming down his face could be seen by anyone else but the lady before him, " I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day. With this ring, I thee wed." With trembling hands, he carefully and lovingly slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. A small sob escaped Asuka's lips as her smile continued to provide the sunshine to Shinji's world.

"Asuka, take this ring and place it on Shinji's finger, and speak the words that lay within your heart." the Reverend said with a gentle smile, tears threatening to slide down his cheeks as well. He had rarely seen two people who loved each other as much as these two do, and their unabashed display of emotion was beginning to get to him as well.

"Shinji," she began as she fought to hold off the sobs that threatened to interrupt her, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day. With this ring, I thee wed." She steadied her hands as she slipped the ring on Shinji's finger. With that simple act, both of their trembling stopped as they drew strength from one another like only a married couple could. The Reverend smiled, knowing that this pairing would last, and knowing that these two would love each other throughout all time, and until the end of the world. Opening his book, he read once more, this time from The Bard, Sonnet 29.

_"When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,  
I all alone beweep my outcast state  
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries  
And look upon myself and curse my fate,  
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,  
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,  
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,  
With what I most enjoy contented least;  
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,  
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,  
Like to the lark at break of day arising  
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;  
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings"_

"And so dear friends," The Reverend said as the realization finally set in that they were, indeed, married, causing huge grins to spread on Shinji and Asuka's faces, "By the power vested in me by the Creator, the Nation of Japan, and NERV, I hereby declare, for now and all time, you to be husband and wife. And what the Creator has joined this day, let no man, woman, or beast put asunder!" He said that last part as he stared at the back of the chapel again. "Shinji, you may now kiss your bride!" Carefully, Shinji lifted Asuka's veil, revealing her radiant face for him to see.

"You better get ready and pucker up, Shinji!" She whispered as she jumped into his arms and planted a deep kiss on him, to which he immediately responded. Everyone in the Chapel broke out into laughter as the couple continued to hug and kiss before the assembled crowd. Rev. Knight boomed out in laughter as the rest of the wedding party doubled over with mirth at the spectacle their friends were putting on. Finally, the couple broke their kiss as the Reverend turned the two to face their guests.

"Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! It pleases me to introduce and present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ikari! Now, let's go party!" he announced as he clasped them both on the shoulder. The music started up once more as Shinji and Asuka walked from the altar arm-in-arm, followed by Kaji and Misato, Touji and Hikari, Kensuke and Rei, Fuyutsuki and Heidi, and then by the rest of the guests as they filed out to the reception in the Grand Hall. The last to leave was Rev. Knight, as he slowly walked toward the back of the Chapel, but not heading immediately for the doors, instead to a darkened corner where he knew someone familiar resided.

"You knew I would be here," the shadow said in a deep voice. It was a statement, not a question.

"I always know where you are, Commander," The Reverend stated simply as he saw his reflection in the ever-present glasses that were perched on Gendo's face.

"That is highly disconcerting," the elder Ikari replied as he walked from the shadows and stood before the giant of the man. "How is that possible?"

"Heh! I have an 'in' with the Man upstairs," The big man answered back as a smile spread upon his face. "Besides, being your 'advisor' on all things spiritual does have it's advantages at times!" Ikari snorted.

"Indeed. Have you been able to complete the translation of the scrolls yet?"

"Almost," the Reverend replied, "The text is difficult, but the codes within are relatively simple."

"Then why is not finished yet?" Ikari asked, some impatience in voice.

"Translation isn't my only job, Commander," the Reverend said as he turned away from Gendo, "I have been a little busy with other matters, such as your son's wedding. Speaking of which, how did you like it?" He continued toward the doors leading to the Great Hall.

"It was adequate," Gendo answered, a small frown creasing his brow.

"Ah. I must ask, why didn't you attend the service like everyone else, rather than skulking in the shadows? I know that it would have done Shinji some good to see you amongst the crowd. He had no other members of his family in attendance, other than Lady Ayanami.."

"I'm not sure that The Third Child would consider me family. Most of his surrogate family were in attendance. My appearance would have been an unnecessary distraction." Rev. Knight cocked an eyebrow at that.

"As you say, Commander. If you will excuse me, I must put in an appearance at the reception. I trust you will turn down my invitation to attend?" Gendo merely nodded in the affirmative. "I thought as much. A pity, really." With that, the Reverend passed through the doors, leaving Ikari alone with his thoughts. A minute later, he opened his cell phone and dialed in several digits.

"Fuyutsuki. I want you to expand the search for the father of the baby to include all of Tokyo-3, as well as everyone in a radius of fifty miles. I want females included in this as well. You never know if we may be able to come up with a familial match. The time for half measures is over!" The Commander said tersely as he concluded his conversation and ended the call. The Second Child was now family, and he refused to allow the culprit to go free any longer than was necessary.

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"Yes sir, I understand," Fuyutsuki said as he closed his phone and placed it back within his jacket pocket before he turned back to the toast Kaji was making to Asuka and Shinji. Fuyutsuki was pleased to see how happy the two children were, as well at how much everyone seemed to be enjoying the reception. It had been a very long time since NERV had anything to truly celebrate.

Shinji and Asuka were lost in each others eyes and paid no attention whatsoever to Kaji, or anyone else for that matter. The dinner progressed rather well until the time came to cut the cake. Asuka shot Touji a dirty look as she saw the cake topper, which showed the groom being dragged by the bride, which brought peals of laughter from the crowd. The villain of that little bit of drama ran for the hills before Hikari could reach out and grab his ear, causing everyone to laugh once more.

The cake cutting itself went so much better until the bride and groom began to feed each other their cake. Asuka smirked as she smashed the cake into Shinji's face, causing him to snort the cake. Shinji promptly returned the favor by chasing her with a big handful of cake before she finally stopped and stood there to take her punishment. Shinji pulled his hand back like he was going to smash her face really good, then reached out and placed just the smallest dollop of icing on the end of her nose. Opening her eyes, she looked cross-eyed at the frosting, causing Shinji and everyone else to laugh, before Shinji leaned over and kissed it off her nose. The two fell into each others arms as the merriment continued. It was the gift giving that touched everyone's heart.

They received the typical gifts you would see at weddings, such as blenders, dishes, utensil sets, so on and so forth. Their closer friends did give them things much more personal, like more lingerie for Asuka, or CD gift sets of their favorite singers and composers. Misato gave them a silver picture frame containing a photo of them that was taken right after Shinji had proposed. The look of sheer happiness on both their faces in the picture was enough to melt even the coldest hearts. Kaji gave the happy couple a video camera so they could record the more memorable moments of their lives together. However, when Touji and Kensuke began to snicker, Hikari slapped them both in the back of the head. Shinji's gift to his wife was a custom made silver bracelet that had the word 'love' engraved on it in every language that could fit. It was Asuka's gift to her husband that struck a chord with everyone present.

"Look over at the band, Shinji," she said sweetly as his head turned to do as she asked. Something looked very odd, as the quintet now had three more places set up. In one chair sat a violin case, in the other chair was a guitar case, and setting up against the last chair was a cello. He looked at Asuka quizzically as she motioned for him to walk over and take a look.

_"She must have gotten me a cello! That must be how she got to know Mr. Takayamagi!" _he thought as he felt his heart swell even more with love. It made him feel incredible to think that his wife would love him so much to do that for him. As he approached the stage he looked at her.

"Yes, silly! That's yours! Now go check it out!" she beamed as she saw the look on his face. Shinji's grin got even bigger as he closed in on it, as he could tell from this distance that she had gotten him a real top of the line model. It was when he got right up to it that he stopped dead cold.

"Mother?" he whispered hoarsely as he reached over and studied the cello before him. It was exactly as he remembered, right down to the little scratch Asuka had put on it in the past. He held it lovingly in his hands as he finally saw the very faint lettering on the neck that read 'Yui Ikari'. You had to know it was there to be able to see it. His head spun around and looked at his wife, who stood there with a smile on her face and a tear in her eye. He walked over to her and fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thank you!" he sobbed as he held her tighter.

"You're welcome!" she whispered back with tears in her own eyes as she stroked is hair. "Now, my silly husband, get up there and play me some music!" She sniffled some as he stood and gave her a huge 'thank you' kiss.

Slowly, Shinji took his seat and placed the cherished instrument before him, and caressed it's strings like a long lost lover whom he thought he would never see again. He placed one hand over the strings and drew the bow across, brining forth a long, low, warming note. He turned and looked at the other musicians, who nodded for him to begin. Slowly, but with increasing strength, Shinji began to play _Canon in D _, closing his eyes and allowing himself to fall and drift into the notes as they resonated from the strings he held so carefully in his hands. He felt a rustle of movement around him but ignored it until the time came for the violin to join, which appeared right next to him. He knew that this wasn't right because he had seen the violin player much further back on the stage, but the power and presence of the violin player next to him was so familiar he had to open his eyes.

Next to him sat his beautiful Asuka, her own eyes closed and flowing with the music as she drew her bow across the strings of her own instrument. She opened her eyes for just a second to glance at him out of the corner of her eye, smiling as she closed them once more. Shinji was about to do the same when he heard the sounds of a very carefully tuned bass guitar begin to play beside him, matching him note for note. He shifted his gaze around and saw Ichigo sitting in the other chair, concentrating on matching him. Shinji smiled, surprised that anyone in that so-called band was able to perform anything close to music. His opinion of the guitar player rose considerably as the piece continued on, never missing a beat or a note as the other instruments continued to join in. When finished, he turned and nodded ever so slightly to Ichigo, who nodded back before placing his guitar down and walking back over to Rei's side. Shinji watched as the young man and his sister stood and talked to each other, and was really surprised to see his sister fawning all over the young bass player. He could see a sparkle in Rei's eyes that he had seen only rarely in the eyes of others, and he felt happy and worried at the same time. However, a warm touch to his arm drew his attention away from Rei and her beau.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Asuka wondered, a small smirk on her face. Shinji grinned as he replied.

"I'm thinking about how I'm the luckiest guy on Earth!" Asuka's eyes narrowed just a bit as she answered.

"Good answer! You are, however, such a lousy liar! Now, tell me what you really were thinking!" Shinji blushed a bit, knowing that he had been caught flatfooted.

"I'm just hoping that we don't have to plan another wedding very soon. I guess we need to have a talk with Rei." Asuka patted his hand before grabbing him up and dragging him to the dance floor.

"Rei can take care of herself, so stop being a worry wart! Now, come on! I wanna dance with my husband!" With that, they reached the dance floor as the band started back up, and Shinji and Asuka enjoyed their first dance as a married couple. When the first song ended, other couples soon joined them on the dance floor. The first ones up were Rei and her date, much to everyone's surprised, followed closely by Kaji and Misato, Touji and Hikari, and Heidi and the Reverend. The festivities continued on for quite some time until Asuka started getting a little tired, which began to worry Shinji.

"It's nothing to worry about, your daughter is just wanting to take a nap, that's all," Asuka replied as Shinji and the others made to wrap up the reception.

The first order of business was the Tossing of the Bridal Bouquet. The crowd of single females that had gathered upon the dance floor was like nothing anyone had ever seen before, as they all jostled for position to catch the magical flowers. Asuka grinned as she saw her bridesmaids manage to get spots close to the front of the crowd. Turning her back to the ladies, she stared straight at Shinji , who was leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed, surrounded by his groomsmen. Giving him a wink and a nod, she started to angle herself just so, until a slight shake of Shinji's head made her stop. She angled back a little until he nodded slightly and flashed her a wide grin, which she gladly returned. This exchange did not go unnoticed by Kaji as the redheaded German closed her eyes and tossed the bouquet in a wide arc over her head.

As the crowd of women started to push and dive for the bouquet, a rather startled Misato stood her ground as the pale pink and white flowers seemed to making a beeline straight for her. Frozen like a deer in headlights, she merely stood as the blessed bundle continued to float in slow-motion before landing in her outstretched hands. She looked at it like it was a visitor from outer space that had just taken a dump in her hands, before the shock wore off and she grinned like a madwoman, waving the bouquet at Kaji, who stood his ground and giggled his head off. Misato blushed and began to giggle as well.

"You two did that on purpose, didn't you?" Kaji accused jokingly , as he wagged a finger at the young Ikari, who refused to look at him.

"Who, us?" Shinji answered innocently, refusing to look Kaji in the eye for fear of losing his composure and laughing in the older man's face.

"Yeah, you!" Kaji continued, still waiting for an answer as he grinned his lopsided grin. Shinji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Kaji's tie and collar had mysteriously been loosened. Kaji was back to normal.

"Yup!" Shinji replied with a grin as he and the others began to move to the floor. All the single guys there were reluctantly dragged or thrown to the dance floor by their dates or their friends. They all knew what was coming and most of them wanted to have no part of it, and wished to avoid it like the Plague.

A chair was brought to the middle of the floor next to where Shinji and Asuka stood. Shinji lead his wife to the chair with every intention of having her sit in it, but Asuka had other plans. Wiggling her eyebrow at him, Asuka raised the hem of her dress just a tad and placed her foot on it. Shinji blushed as Asuka began to slowly pull the dress up her leg, revealing the open-toed, ankle-strap high heels and white stockings she was wearing. Now, all the guys in the crowd were very interested in what was going on, but much to their disappointment, she stopped at the knee.

"Okay, silly, the rest is up to you," she smiled wickedly as Shinji's grin matched hers. Knowing just what to do to drive Asuka wild, he gently placed his fingertips on her stocking clad ankle and slowly worked his way up to the hem of her dress. Asuka flushed somewhat as the sensation on his fingers on her legs sent waves of warmth all through her body. She didn't want him to stop, but she was hoping that he would hurry up and finish before anyone could notice her condition. Her breathing began to become rather ragged as Shinji continued to slide his fingers up her leg while raising the dress even more to gain access to the garter hidden within. It was up higher on her thigh than he had thought it would be, and his own breathing became labored as he felt the top of her stockings along with the clasp of her garter belt. His eyes widened as he looked up into her eyes and saw the sultry look in her eye.

"Well, it is called a garter, after all," she smirked, as Shinji began to slide the mentioned item down her leg. He heard the moans of disappointment as the hem of her dress slid back down her leg, but ignored them as he concentrated on the purring he heard from Asuka as he continued to caress her leg as he drew the garter down. He removed the garter and allowed Asuka to take her leg off the chair and stand beside him as he got ready to do his duty.

"You are so going to pay for that later," she murmured in his ear as her breath tickled his neck and sent waves of pleasure down his spine. He turned to her and grinned savagely before placing a kiss on her lips.

"Oh, I hope so!" he chuckled as he turned his attention back to the crowd of men before him. Shinji's eyes narrowed as he locked on to the agreed target and placed the garter on the index finger of his left hand and pulled it back like a slingshot with his right. As if on cue, all the men on the floor, save one, scattered to the Four Winds, looking for all intents and purposes like roaches scurrying from the light. The lone survivor had no knowledge of this, since he had been shoved to the front of the crowd by those desperate to escape. Shinji loosed his weapon and allowed Destiny to take charge over it's flight.

WHAP! The lacey blue garter caught Kaji right between the eyes before falling and landing in his hands. He glanced down at the object that had assaulted him, stunned, before he heard the applause and looked around. He was startled to see that he was the only one on the floor, save the happy couple. Kaji blushed somewhat, but hid it well as Misato rushed the floor, leapt into his arms, and covered his face in kisses. Asuka and Shinji continued to laugh before they, too, took each other in their arms and kissed before a stunned but happy crowd.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen gathered up all of the wedding gifts, cards, cake top, and such for Asuka and Shinji as the happy couple got ready to leave the reception. They had already made plans to head back to their apartment and change and clean up before heading to the airport to begin their honeymoon. Misato reassured them that they would take care of everything, and began to cry as she watched her two charges walk arm-in-arm to the doors of the Great Hall. Heidi soon joined her in the cry, as she watched her niece and a young man she had come to love as a member of her family get ready to leave to start their life together. Rei and Hikari came over to comfort them, but the tears were contagious, as the two younger ladies began to bawl as well. They walked over and hugged Asuka and Shinji, causing the young redhead to breakdown, too.

"You two be careful, okay?" Misato sobbed as she clung to Shinji, wetting his jacket with he tears. He patted her pack as he tried to reassure her.

"We will, Misato, we will!" he replied as he glanced over to his wife, who was doing the same for Heidi.

"Despite how tough she claims to be, she's still in a delicate condition! Please take care of her!" Misato continued as she looked Shinji in the eye, who didn't flinch from her gaze.

"I'd lay my life down for her, Misato! You know I would!"

"I know, I know! But this is really hard, Shinji! It's like watching two of my own kids leaving, you know?" Misato continued to sob as Kaji came up and took her off Shinji's hands.

"I know, Misato, but I promise we'll be okay!" he insisted as he gathered Asuka up and began to head out the door, only to be stopped suddenly by a giant leaning on a sword. A claymore, to be exact.

"Hold, Lord and Lady Ikari!" The Reverend said as he stood before the young couple, blocking their passage out. Asuka shot Shinji a withering glance as she saw what the Reverend held.

"I thought you said he didn't have a sword!" she whispered fiercely.

"He didn't! Not earlier, at least!" Shinji whispered back, trying to figure out what was going on. "What's up, Reverend?" The Reverend grinned as he stepped aside.

"Not a thing, milord! I was merely giving your honor guard a moment to finish setting up!" Asuka and Shinji stood there, looking confused.

"Honor Guard?" the couple asked in unison. The Reverend laughed deeply as he moved and allowed them to step out of the Hall. The sight before them surprised them quite a bit. A line of one hundred military personnel, all dressed in Class A's and wielding a sword, stood at attention along the path to the limo.

"Guard! Present arms!" the Reverend bellowed as one hundred swords were drawn and placed before the faces of their owners.

"Guard! Order arms!" the minister bellowed once more as one hundred swords formed a crossed arch for the couple to pass under. With a slap on their rear ends by the Reverend's claymore, Asuka and Shinji began to run down the red carpet that had been laid out before them. Just before they got to the end, the last two swords fell and crossed before them, stopping their progress.

"On behalf of the Berserkers, the Spartans, the Furies, and the Corsairs, we just want to say 'Congratulations', and we're looking forward to working with you both!" a large man said as he and his counterpart raised their swords and allowed Asuka and Shinji to proceed and enter the limo. The young couple only had eyes for each other as the limo pulled away from the curb and began to take them on the journey of their young lives.

End of Part Seven.


	8. Chapter 8

-1Father

Part 8

The air was still cool as a breeze blew in from the sea, causing the young redhead to shiver slightly. Asuka stood on the balcony and unconsciously hugged herself to keep warm as she watched the sun slowly rise above the sea dominated horizon. A gentle smile crossed her lips.

She felt _happy_. Genuinely happy and content for the first time in a very, very long time. She looked down and placed a hand on her slowly growing belly as the ocean breeze gently stirred her long, unbound locks. Asuka rubbed her belly and hummed ever so softly as she picture the little one that was growing within her. Letting out a happy little sigh, she turned her head and watched her husband as he continued to sleep peacefully with a silly little smile on his face. A blush lit up her cheeks as she remembered the previous night.

Shinji was so much…_more_…than she had ever thought he would be, and not necessarily in the physical sense. Asuka knew him to be a kind and loyal friend, a loving boyfriend and now spouse, and a fierce warrior. However, until last night, she never knew he would be such a gentle lover. One of the things she learned last night, much to her utmost delight, was that her fulfillment was his top priority. When she had asked him about it, he smiled and told her that making sure she was satisfied was half of his fun.

Shinji had done his job well. She had certainly been satisfied, quite a few times in fact. That was one thing Asuka had always feared when it came to thoughts of taking a lover or a getting married. She had been told by many people that men only looked out for themselves, that they would use her and then toss her aside like a piece of garbage. But for some reason, she knew Shinji would never be that way, and she was very happy to discover that she had been right.

It had been awkward at first, as was to be expected. Despite the fact that they had known each other for several years and had been with each other constantly for months, the shock of actually seeing each other fully for the first time had led to some serious blushing. Asuka's old reflexes began to come into play until Shinji took her hand and took the lead. Ever since they had actually gotten together as a couple, Shinji had discovered how to get Asuka to relax, as well as how to enflame her desires. A soft caress, a light touch, a gentle kiss and she was putty in his hands. To top it off, whenever he stared into her bright blue eyes, she would melt like a popsicle on a hot sidewalk in summer. She would never admit that to anyone, of course, except Shinji.

After they relaxed, and after a serious case of the giggles, they allowed Nature to take it's course. Asuka reminded herself to thank Nature, as well as Misato, Kaji, and even the two Stooges. She knew that there was no way in the world her Shinji could have come up with some of the stuff he had done last night on his own. She began to blush again as she wrapped her thin robe tighter around herself in an effort to keep warm. The thin robe and the even thinner teddy she was wearing may send Shinji's heart all aflutter, but it did nothing to keep her warm on the balcony. Asuka was ready to turn and go back inside when she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist, as soft kisses were placed on her neck.

"Morning," she purred as she melted back into the arms of her husband. Shinji continued to nibble on her neck, causing Asuka to become quite…warm.

"Morning," he whispered back into her ear as he held her close. "How are my ladies doing today?" Asuka grinned as she rubbed her belly and then felt him do the same. "It's a little chilly out here."

"We're both doing good, thank you!" Asuka replied as she turned to face her husband. "And I'm perfectly comfortable, now!" She looked up at him and then reached up and gave him a huge 'good morning' kiss. Shinji was cross-eyed when she finished with him.

"Wow! So…whatcha doing?" Shinji asked as he tried to catch his breath. Asuka giggled at his reaction.

"Well, if you must know, my silly Shinji, I was just watching the sunrise. And thinking," the redhead replied. Her husband smirked slightly.

"About what? What you want for breakfast? Where you're wanting to go today?" he asked as he inhaled the scent of strawberries that always seemed to linger in her hair.

"No, you idiot! About last night!" she replied with a sultry grin, causing Shinji to blush. She giggled again as she saw the red rise to his cheeks. Asuka always thought that it was so cute to see him blush, which is why she used to tease him so much when they were younger. Well, one reason, anyway. "About other stuff, too."

"Like?" he encouraged her. Shinji knew that something was troubling his love.

"Why did we wait so long, Shinji? Why did we deny what we felt? Why did we fail to act?" the crimson-haired mother-to-be asked as her eyes clouded somewhat. Shinji sighed as he pulled her close.

"We were too scared, I guess," he replied as he tried to sooth his wife. "You had your reasons, and I was too big of a coward to act…OOF!" he exclaimed as Asuka punched him in the stomach.

"You're not a coward!" Asuka growled as the fire returned, "Anyone who could leap into an EVA and do what you do can never be called a coward! You were just scared, that's natural! There's a big difference between being scared and being a coward! I was wrong to call you that in the past, I know that now. I'm sorry."

"That hurt!" he complained as he rubbed his stomach. Asuka smiled sweetly as she replied.

"It's supposed to! Don't think that just because we're married now that I won't knock the snot out of you if you do or say something really stupid, like putting yourself down! Understand me, Third Child?" she said as she waved a fist at him.

"Yes ma'am, Mrs. Third Child!" Shinji replied cheekily as he pinched her butt and ran back into the room as fast as he could.

"_Ach, nein! _I've been demoted!" Asuka exclaimed as she took off after her husband, her thin robe flapping in the breeze. "Shinji Ikari! Get your ass back here!" she laughed as she ran back into their suite.

--

_Summer, 2016_

"I'm coming!" Shinji called out as he rose from the couch to answer the door. Whomever was doing the knocking, they were quite persistent as the knocking continued until Shinji was finally able to open the door. What he saw, floored him.

"_Guten tag_!" the stranger called out as Shinji stood there and did his best impersonation of a fish out of water. "Is this the home of Asuka Langley Soryu?"

"Uh, y-yes ma'am," the pilot of Unit One stammered in reply as he continued to star at the newcomer. Despite the fact she was a little older looking and a bit more… _well endowed_…Shinji could have sworn he was looking at a twin of his room mate.

"_Sehr gute_! I am Captain Heidi Zeppelin of NERV Security, Third Branch. Is Asuka home?" she asked the stunned young man, who could do nothing but stand and stare.

"Uh, no ma'am. She's at a friend's house for the day," Shinji replied, still stunned and blocking the doorway. Heidi smirked a little at the expression on the Third Child's face.

"What's wrong? You keep staring at me! Do I have a booger on my nose, or are you just stunned by my radiant beauty?" she asked with a grin on her face as she thrust her chest out, watching Shinji's cheeks turn redder than a beet at the remark. Despite the fact she was dressed in a NERV Security black uniform, her attributes were impressive and could easily rival Misato's. _"Asuka wasn't kidding when she said he was so cute when he blushes!"_ she thought.

"Er, yes…I mean no!…uh…what I mean is…oh man…" he stammered as the redhead before him began to laugh.

"Asuka's right! You are fun to tease!" Heidi said between giggles, then felt a little bad as Shinji's face fell and he began to stare at the floor.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as Heidi gently reached out and lifted his chin so she could look into his steel blue eyes.

"No, no, I'm the one who's sorry! I'm Asuka's aunt, and I'm guessing that you're Shinji Ikari. Asuka told me so much about you that I felt like I already knew you. You wrote to me about Asuka, remember?" Heidi reassured him as she watched him relax. "May I come in?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm sorry, please come in," Shinji replied, feeling extremely embarrassed by his lack of manners. Moving aside, he allowed Heidi to enter and then led her to the living room. After fixing some tea, Shinji had time to sufficiently relax enough for the two of them to have a nice conversation as the time quickly passed.

"You know something, Shinji? You really do take after your mother," Heidi said as she sat back and sipped her tea. The young man's jaw dropped slightly before replying.

"You knew my mother, Captain?" he asked hopefully. Heidi's eyes twinkled as she studied the young man. She could see the longing in his eyes and hear the hope in his voice.

"Please, call me 'Heidi'. Yes, I knew your mother, Shinji. She and my sister, Kyoko, would sit around for hours and talk about the more technical aspects of Project E, which was truly over my pretty head! My specialty is security and psychology, but they would include me in their conversations from time to time. They wondered about what the psychological responses of the pilots would be like after synching up with a life form such as the EVAs, or even about the psychological responses of the EVAs themselves. I helped them as best as I could, but I reminded them that there were many better qualified people they could ask. They would smile at me and tell me that although that was true, there was only one they could trust." Heidi recalled as her eyes grew distant, with just a hint of moisture detectable. Shinji sat there, riveted by the NERV captain.

"Kyoko? Why does that name sound familiar?" Shinji pondered as Heidi continued to watch him, her mind trying to evaluated the condition of her friend's son. "She was your sister, which makes her…"

"Asuka's mother," Heidi finished his statement for him. Shinji was flabbergasted to think that he and Asuka's mothers knew each other. Heidi smiled as she continued on with her story, " They were good friends, that's one thing I can tell you. We did a lot of things together: talking, shopping, stuff like that. When Yui became pregnant with you, we were all so thrill, even your father. Kyoko was so happy, she was beside herself!" Heidi looked at Shinji with narrowed eyes, which was something that Shinji knew would not be a good thing. " In fact, I have a little secret for you! Would you like to hear it?"

"Uh, I guess so," Shinji gulped nervously. He recognized that look, it was the same one that Asuka and Misato would have when they would begin to tease him.

"Okay then, listen closely," Heidi said softly as she leaned forward, causing Shinji to do the same, "Did you now that you were the reason Asuka was born?" Heidi giggled at the look on Shinji's face as the blush ran to his face.

"Huh? What do you mean?" he stammered, causing Heidi to giggle harder. She could see the utter confusion in his eyes.

"Well, it wasn't too much longer after Yui became pregnant that Kyoko decided she wanted a baby, too. They used to giggle amongst themselves about how it would be so cool to see you two grow up together and get married some day!" Shinji's face turned redder than Unit Two's armour when Heidi said that, causing the German to start laughing heartily. "You know that Asuka was born just six months after you, right? Believe it or not, you two knew each other before you met last year. When you two were babies, Yui and Kyoko would put you two in the same crib with one another when ever they visited with each other. It was the strangest thing, though…" Heidi voice trailed off, as if pondering some sort of mystery from the past.

"What was so strange?" Shinji asked. Despite the teasing, he was enjoying listening to stories about his mother. Heidi looked back at him with a warm smile on her face.

"Well, whenever we heard one of you two crying, we would go in and check on you. Usually, the crying stopped before we could get to you, and each and every time we would see one of you rolled over on your sides, comforting the other. It was so cute seeing one little baby with it's arm on the other, like it was telling it's friend it was okay." Heidi recalled fondly as she continued to watch the highly embarrassed young man. "Most of the time, you were the one who was comforting Asuka. She was always such a sad and cranky little baby, but she was never that way around you. It was like you were made for each other."

"Well, things change," Shinji snorted, sadness coming to his eyes. "It seems that no matter what I do, all I do is make her angry. It's like she can't even stand to be in the same room with me, most of the time."

"You're right, things do change, Shinji," Heidi agreed, taking note of the utter sadness in the Third Child's eyes. "But you have to remember, you two have gone through so much since then. Asuka was about a year old when we were all transferred back to _Deutschland_. She never seemed to be the same after that. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to spend any more time with you and your mother before your mother had her accident." Heidi's eyes reflected Shinji's sadness as she thought of her lost sister and their friend.

"What was she like? My mother?" Shinji asked, but before Heidi could answer the front door opened and a familiar voice called out.

"I'm home," the bored voice of Asuka announced as the young redhead walked into the living room, just to stop dead in her tracks as she watched Shinji and Heidi stand to greet her. Her jaw dropped as her eyes grew wide in utter astonishment. She knew that her mind had finally snapped, and that the sight before her was nothing more than a hallucination.

"Hello Asuka," her aunt said as she noted the condition of her niece. Asuka was thinner than Heidi remembered, and the haunted look in her eyes frightened Heidi. Asuka looked like she was ready to collapse from shock, before her voice finally gained enough strength to say something.

"Aunt…Aunt Heidi?" the younger German croaked, still not trusting her eyes.

"Yes, little one, it's me," Heidi said gently as she watched Asuka's face crumple. After taking a small, hesitant step, Asuka leapt across the room and was immediately enfolded in the arms of her aunt. Silent tears streamed down her face as she and Heidi embraced one another, muttering softly to each other in German. Shinji looked on for a moment before stepping out of the living room and leaving the two to catch up with each other.

--

As the weeks passed, Asuka seemed to improve slowly due to the ministrations of her aunt. Shinji was pleased to note that the fire that had always seemed to drive Asuka was ever so slowly beginning to return. Misato and Heidi got along quite well, which also pleased the young pilot of Unit One. It wasn't until later that Shinji discovered that the two had known each other back in Germany, where Misato had actually joined NERV.

What Shinji hadn't noticed was the change that was slowly beginning to over come himself. Misato had taken Heidi aside and asked if she could help Shinji as well as Asuka, to which the elder German readily agreed. She had seen the damage that the events of the past had caused Shinji, and she couldn't stand the fact that the happy little baby she had known had grown to become a very introverted young man. It took all her force of will to keep from marching into Gendo Ikari's office and putting a forty caliber round right between his eyes.

Heidi made sure to pull Shinji aside everyday to talk to him, and had learned quite a lot about the young Third Child. She learned how much his father's abandonment had torn him asunder when he was but a small child. She was pleased to discover that he had finally made friends when he came to Tokyo-3, but was saddened to learn that he had been forced to cripple one and destroy another. She was shocked to learn that he had a sister, but proud at how quickly he had embraced her as a member of the family, despite the fact her emotional growth had been severely delayed.

The thing that made Heidi the happiest was when she discovered that Shinji had feelings for her niece. It had taken a lot of poking and prodding, but he had let the clues slip out in bits and pieces. She realized, however, that he would never actually come out and do anything about it due to his fear of rejection. It wasn't until toward the end of summer that she got her first actual sign that he truly felt deeply about Asuka.

"Hey, Shinji, what's up?" she asked one day as she walked into the apartment to check up on Asuka. Heidi had noticed that despite the progress her niece had made, she seemed to start to slide back into the black well of despair that always seemed to threaten the young redhead. "Is Asuka around?"

"Oh, hello Heidi," Shinji called back as he walked toward the open balcony door with a cello case in one hand and a chair in the other. "She's in her room, but I don't think she's feeling to well today. She's only been out a few times today to go to the bathroom, that's it."

"Really?" Heidi frowned as she turned her attention to her niece's room and knocked before walking in. "Asuka?" She was shocked at what she saw.

"What the hell do you want?" the Second Child croaked as she sat upon her bed, her knees pulled to her chest. Heidi was shocked to see the dark circles around her eyes, at how pale her skin was, and how listless she seemed.

"Excuse me?" The elder redhead snarled as she placed her hands on her hips and stared down her niece. Asuka cringed at the look she aunt was giving her. "Watch your language! And is that how you're supposed to greet your aunt?"

"Uh, no ma'am. I'm s-sorry," Asuka replied, sniffling a bit. Heidi's face softened as she saw how badly Asuka felt. "I just don't feel too good today, Auntie."

"I can see that," Heidi said as she walked over and sat on the edge of her niece's bed. "What's wrong?" Asuka refused to look up into her aunt's eyes.

"I didn't get any sleep last night, that's all," Asuka replied. Heidi reached over and stroked her limp, lifeless hair.

"The nightmares again?" Heidi asked, to which Asuka slowly nodded. "You told me you had a way to deal with that. What happened?" Asuka shrugged. She didn't want to tell her Aunt that Shinji had spent the night at Kensuke's, and the sweet music he played for her when she needed it wasn't there. She didn't want Heidi to know she depended on anyone, especially Shinji Ikari.

"I…it…he…I just couldn't do it last night," Asuka sighed, a very terrible soul shaking sigh at that.

"Why don't you tell me about the nightmares," Heidi prodded carefully, hoping to get her niece to open up and confront her demons head-on. The elder German was frightened, as Asuka was beginning to look like Death warmed over.

"It's the same one," Asuka croaked as she tried to keep the images back in the farthest reaches of her mind, "the same one I used to have back in Germany, about …about…" her words trailed off. Heidi became concerned as Asuka just stopped everything and began to stare off into space. The NERV captain silently cursed all Angels, having seen what had happened to her strong, self-confident niece after the Fifteenth's attack.

"Asuka? What's the matter?" Heidi asked anxiously as the younger German stood up from her bed and began to walk towards the door, as if she were in some sort of trance. She reached out and grabbed Asuka's hand. "Asuka!"

"Huh? What?" the pilot of Unit Two asked as she slowly turned her head and gazed at her aunt.

"What's wrong?" Heidi asked once more. She made a mental note to go and ask the NERV psychiatrists to run an evaluation on Asuka as soon as possible. As a high ranking member of NERV security, she had the power to do so. The welfare of her niece was extremely important to herself and to NERV. So far, no one else had been able to synch with Unit Two, other than the Seventeenth. As of right now, NERV was down to one functional EVA and one functional pilot. Unit Zero had not yet been regenerated, and Unit Two refused to synch with Rei for some strange reason, as did Unit One. God help the world if the Angels attacked at this time.

"Oh. Nothing," Asuka mumbled as she stumbled past her aunt and left her room, followed quickly by Heidi. Asuka made a beeline for the balcony door, as if she were drawn it by some supernatural force. Heidi was at this time extremely frightened for her niece until a low droning that had just been on the edge of her senses increased in volume.

Much to Heidi's surprise and relief, she watched as Asuka walked out to the balcony and took a seat on the floor at one corner of the balcony. She watched as her niece closed her eyes and visibly relaxed, a small smile appearing on her face. This wasn't a false smile like the one she would put on at times to keep everyone from seeing how miserable she really was. No, it was a true, contented smile. Heidi stood in the doorway and watched in amazement as she realized that the low sound she had heard was coming from one Shinji Ikari, who continued to play his cello with his eyes closed and seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world.

An hour passed before Shinji finally set his cherished string instrument aside and stood up to stretch his legs. Heidi had stood in the doorway, enraptured, the entire time. She was so pleased to discover that Shinji had developed the same talent as her long dead friend had so many years prior. The redheaded NERV captain glanced back toward her niece and was pleased to see Asuka's eyes were closed and she was breathing steadily. The young lady had finally fallen asleep to Shinji's music.

"Oh, hello again, Heidi," Shinji whispered as he finally noticed her in the doorway as he began to walk toward Asuka. "I didn't disturb you, did I?" Heidi shook her head.

"No, Shinji, you didn't. You play quite beautifully, you know? It reminds me so much of Yui's playing," she responded softly, so as not to disturb Asuka. Shinji's eyes widened a bit at this bit of information.

"Really? I never got to hear her play," Shinji replied as he walked over to Asuka and gently lifted the young lady up from the ground, bridal style, and turned toward the door. Heidi was both shocked and thrilled at the shy young pilot's actions. She walked back inside the apartment, allowing Shinji to follow after with his slumbering burden.

"Huh? Shinji?" Asuka mumbled in her sleep as the young man stepped toward the living room sofa.

"Shhh," he replied so very softly and gently, causing her to snuggle closer to his chest. Slowly, he lowered her to the sofa, then quickly retreated and returned with a soft blanket. He carefully tucked her in, then gently stroked the side of her face, causing a smile to appear on Asuka's lips. Shinji smiled back as he bent back down and gave her a quick little kiss on her forehead, causing the young German to snuggle down deeper into the sofa and blanket. The image of one young baby comforting the other flashed before Heidi's eyes.

"You really do care for her, don't you?" Heidi observed as she followed Shinji back out to the balcony, where he proceeded to repack his cello.

"Well, sure I do. She's my friend, after all, whether she wants to admit to it or not," Shinji replied as he made sure that everything was packed correctly before closing the case. "I care for her and Misato both. If I don't take care of them, they'd both starve to death, and drown in a sea of garbage!" he chuckled lightly as he picked up his case and the chair he had been sitting in and began to walk back inside. He stopped as he felt Heidi's hand on his shoulder. She turned him to look back toward her.

"That's not what I mean, Shinji, although I am very grateful for you looking after them both. If they had to live off of Misato's cooking…well…let's just say her cooking should be loaded into missiles and fired at the Angels. That would probably kill them in a single shot!" Heidi said, earning a smile from the young man. Her eyes and face became soft with compassion as she plowed onward. "Do you really _care_ for Asuka?" Shinji cast his eyes downward as the blush, once more, made it's appearance on his cheeks. "That's why you play for her, right? You can always tell when she's really feeling out of sorts, and that's when you get your cello out."

"It helps to relax her and let her sleep, that's all. She probably can't stand my playing, but it sooths her anyway," he replied as he stared through the doorway at the slumbering redhead. "It's the least I can do." Heidi smiled at the warmth she could see in the young man's eyes. She really hoped that the two of them could help each other out.

"To answer your question: yes, I care for her, a lot!" Shinji continued. Heidi hoped that expressing his feeling openly would help him to move forward. "But it doesn't matter, Heidi. I know Asuka hates me. She could never care for a guy like me! I'm a coward and a weakling. I'm everything that Asuka despises. I couldn't save her, I failed her. She can't forgive me for that!" Shinji seemed to deflate before her eyes.

Heidi frowned. It seems that the self-loathing Shinji had for himself ran so deep he even projected it on others. He believed that everyone else hated him as much as he hated himself. She knew for a fact that Asuka liked the boy, whether she actually came out and said it or not. Asuka's letters were filled with things about Shinji, especially about a certain event that occurred between the two of them the previous year. She decided to probe deeper.

"Have you ever told Asuka how you feel about her? You'll never know how she truly feels about you until you give it a try! Tell me something, have you two ever held hands, or hugged?" she asked, watching intently for the boy's reactions.

"Uh, no ma'am," Shinji replied as he fought his hardest not to allow himself to blush. The only time he ever held Asuka was that one night he had had that strange dream. Other than carrying her to the sofa anytime she fell asleep listening to him play, that was the only time.

"Okay then, have you two ever kissed each other?" the elder German asked, knowing full well the answer to that one. Asuka had written her shortly afterwards and told her how pleasant the kiss from the Third Child had been, and that she was disappointed at him for pulling away, and disappointed with herself at her reactions.

"Um, um, um," Shinji stammered, his face redder than a lobster and so flustered that he almost dropped his cello. He remembered that night as one of the best and one of the worst nights in his short life. There was nothing like giving your first kiss to a girl you cared for, and having said girl go running screaming into the bathroom. "Y-yes ma'am," he stammered softly.

"WHAT?! You and Asuka kissed?! When the hell did that happen?!" a certain dark-haired Major screamed from the open doorway. Shinji's eyes grew as large as Unit One's as his head whipped around and saw his guardian standing there in a complete state of shock. The Coward ran over and kicked Shinji in the balls and began to drag him into the shadows, causing Shinji to want to shrink down and hide in his cello case, bawling his eyes out in shame and embarrassment. It was then The Man came out and beat the crap out of The Coward and threw Shinji back into the light.

"Misato! Hush!" Shinji hissed softly as he stormed into the living room. "Asuka's finally asleep!"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry!" the Major whispered back, slightly taken aback by the intensity of Shinji's response. "She have a bad night last night?"

"Yeah," Shinji relied quietly as he bent down and checked on the young redhead. Shinji shot a rather naughty warm-water penguin a dirty look as Pen-Pen quietly crept up on Asuka's bare feet with a feather in his claws. Pen-Pen realized that look meant that he would be eating nothing but Misato's cooking for the next month if he continued on his course of action. He quickly thought better about what he was doing and rapidly retreated back to his refrigerator. "Okay, good! She's still asleep," Shinji whispered softly as he turned to go to his room, only to be stopped by Misato.

"Where do you think you're going, mister?" Misato hissed softly as she stood before the young pilot with her hands on her hips. " I still want to know about that kiss! Have you two gone further than that? I'm your guardian, for Pete's sake! If I can't trust you two alone with each other, than I may be forced to separate you!" Shinji's eyes grew wide in fear before he opened his mouth and began to explain.

"It was only one kiss, Misato," Shinji began as sadness started to creep back into his eyes. "It was last year when you went to that wedding. Asuka was bored and pretty much dared me to kiss her. After teasing me to no end, I took her up on her offer. It…didn't end well. I really don't think she enjoyed it too much. She…uh…well…" he faltered and cast his eyes to the ground. He couldn't see the sparkle in his guardian's eyes, or the teasing smirk on her face.

"She what?" Misato urged him to continue. Heidi covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head as she stood behind Shinji, like she was trying to back him up.

"I must be a lousy kisser, Misato, because she ran away and began to brush her teeth, screaming about how she never kiss to kill time," he replied softly, a trace of hurt in his voice. Misato's face softened as she felt the pain that was coming from her young charge like it was a physical force. She looked up at Heidi, who silently mouthed that she would explain it later. "Other than that, the only physical contact we have is when she's hitting me, or when I pick her up and put her on the sofa when she's asleep."

"Oh," Misato replied softly as she stood aside and let Shinji pass by her. "So, whatcha doing now?" Shinji looked up with his sad, puppy-dog eyes.

"I'm a little tired, Misato. I'm going to go lie down for a while. Don't worry about dinner, I'll get up and make it later," Shinji replied as he trudged to his room, his mood completely shot as depression once more began to close in on him. Heidi and Misato watched as he closed his bedroom door before the two of them retreated to the kitchen for tea and beer.

"Well, that didn't go well," Misato huffed as she took her seat at the table and cracked open a beer and downing half the can in one swig. "Urp!"

"Those kids," Heidi sighed as she took a sip of tea, "I have worked so hard these past few weeks to get them to open up, and when they finally do, it lasts for only the briefest of moments." She stared at her tea glass for several seconds and silently wished it was something a bit stronger. She cursed herself and reminded herself that she needed to keep a clear head for those two.

"They actually opened up some?" Misato asked, somewhat incredulous. Heidi nodded her head, as a frown continued to mar her features.

"Yeah, but just a little. I finally got to see Asuka's vulnerable side today, as well as Shinji's caring and decisive side." Misato raised an eyebrow at this.

"Shinji's always caring, Heidi," the dark-haired Major spoke up, defending her charge. Heidi nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes, he is. However, his own self-loathing tends to overshadow it. He believes himself to be worthless, despite everything he does for people. Therefore, it tends to taint everything he does, in his mind at least." Heidi affirmed.

"And today was different because?" Misato urged as she finished her beer and opened a new one.

"Because there was no trace of his self-loathing when he took care of Asuka. I watched as he played for her to get her to sleep, then picked her up and got her comfortable before kissing her head," Misato's eyes shot open wide at this little bit of information, and she tried to keep from spraying her guest with beer. "The only thing I saw in his eyes was his deep…feelings…for Asuka," Heidi answered, a warm smile caressing her face.

"Aww, that sounds so cute!" Misato gushed, " I wish I could have seen that! Shinji actually kissed her?" Heidi giggled as the two continued to chat about the young pilots.

"What are you two hens cackling about?" grunted Asuka, her eyes half closed as she stumbled into the kitchen. She reached for a glass and filled it with water. The two older women jumped at the interruption.

"Eep!" Misato squeaked as she lost the battle this time and shot beer clear across the table. Luckily, Heidi's reflexes kicked in as she leaned to the side and avoided the spray.

"Uh, nothing!" Heidi chimed in as her niece leaned back on the counter and finished her drink.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Asuka muttered as she trudged back across the room before stopping in the doorway. "So, who did Shinji kiss?" Both women stopped dead, their eyes widening as the color drained from their faces.

"Well, it wasn't really a kiss," Heidi began, her eyes looking up toward the ceiling as if deep in thought, "It was more like a small peck on the head." Asuka snorted in disgust.

"Whatever. Like that wimp would ever have the balls to kiss someone! He doesn't care for anyone other than himself," the younger redhead said softly as she began to turn to leave.

"Asuka! That's not true and you know it!" Heidi snapped back. "So quit acting like that! You know, it was Shinji that wrote me to come and see you! I had no idea what had happened to you until he sent me a letter explaining everything! He did that for you!" Heidi was extremely upset at her nieces attitude. Asuka just shook her head and left the room, a small smile carefully hidden on her face. She knew Shinji had kissed her, even if the other two were too much of cowards to tell her. Asuka loved to see that side of Shinji: the strong, caring side. She curled back up on the sofa and closed her eyes, her dreams no longer haunted, but warm and secure. Her dreams were of a certain blue-eyed boy.

--

"Do you really have to go?" Asuka whined as she held her aunt tightly. Heidi gently stroked her niece's hair, trying to sooth Asuka.

"Yes, little one, I do," she said somewhat sadly. "I only had so much leave time built up, you know? Don't worry, I promise to be back next summer, okay?" She looked into Asuka's eyes and saw the sadness had been replaced with hope. "Now, let me take my leave of your room mates."

"It was good to see you again, Misato!" Heidi said as she and Misato hugged tightly. "Take care of those two, will ya?"

"I always do," Misato replied, trying hard to fight back the tears. It had been good to see her old friend again. Heidi let her go and turned toward Shinji. The pilot of Unit One had his head bowed and was looking at his feet. Heidi sighed, because no matter how hard she had worked with both pilots, they had made so little progress. She took a step forward and lifted his chin with her fingertips, but his eyes still refused to look up.

"Shinji, look at me please," she commanded gently, causing the young man to look up at her bright blue eyes. Her eyes reminded him so much of the girl he cared for. "What did I tell you about not looking at people when they talk to you? Some people may think it's rude."

"Sorry," he muttered. Heidi could feel his pain. "I'm going to miss you," he added softly. Heidi smiled warmly at this. Maybe she had more of an influence on him than she had thought.

"Quit apologizing so much!" she admonished playfully, gently rapping him on the side of the head, bringing a small smile from the young man. "I'm going to miss you too, _Herr_ Ikari! Now listen closely, I want you to do two things for me, okay?" Shinji nodded his head. " First off, I want you to keep looking after Asuka for me, just like you have been. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh, sure," Shinji agreed readily, wondering what the second thing could be.

"_Sehr gute_! Now, for the second thing. I want you to take care of yourself! Quit telling yourself that you're worthless! Shinji, you are probably the nicest guy I have ever met, and you seem to hate yourself! Please, for me and for Asuka, see the good inside yourself, and see the good that you do!" Heidi pleaded. She hated seeing Shinji being so down on himself.

"I…I'll try," Shinji replied softly, finding it hard to even think about himself in a positive light whatsoever. He just knew, that deep down inside, he was a horrible, awful person. He knew that no matter what anyone else ever said, he would never be able to change his mind. Heidi saw the inner battle taking place, and prayed to what ever deity was listening, that good would come from it.

"Do more than try, just do it!" Heidi whispered back as she placed her forehead to his and looked him squarely in the eyes. "For starters, why don't you follow your heart and tell Asuka how you really feel? You never know what the answer will be until you actually follow a determined course of action!" she giggled softly, doing her best to put her military and security persona on and failing miserably. Her giggles brought a smile to the young pilot's face for the first time that day.

"Maybe some other time, like after I've lived a full life and I'm ready to die! I'm pretty sure that Asuka would kill me if I even thought about telling her that!" he laughed softly in reply. Heidi continued to giggle before she ruffled his hair and took her leave.

"Okay, folks! I'm not one for teary goodbyes," Asuka and Misato snorted as Shinji smiled sadly, "So I'll see you later! Take care!" With that, the fiery redhead that had invaded their home for the summer and had brought about some much needed healing, turned and walked through the gates to the waiting transport.

"You two stay here while I go get the car," Misato said as she began to walk toward the doors and out to the parking lot, "It's probably going to take a while to get the car out, so you can stay here and watch her plane take off. Now, don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone!" With a wink, a giggle, and a swish of her hips, Misato spun and walked out the door before her two charges could come back with any sort of comeback.

"Humph! What _wouldn't_ she do?" Asuka fumed, angry she couldn't snap back at her guardian, who was now a pretty good distance away. How she could move so fast in those heels, Asuka could never figure out.

"No telling," Shinji commented as he leaned against the rail that overlooked the tarmac, only it and a thin sheet of bulletproof glass between him and a three story fall. He stared out the window and watched as a redhead in a black NERV uniform climbed the steps that lead into the nearest military personnel transport.

"Shinji," he heard Asuka call out to him much more softly than usual. This puzzled him a bit as he turned around.

"Yes, Asuka?" he asked as he turned around, seeing the look on her face, as her mask fell once more, revealing the young girl beneath the hard exterior. Shinji was shocked as his friend came forward and slid her arms through his and around his waist, planting her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered softly in his ear, causing Shinji's face to turn red as a shiver ran down his spine. He did the unthinkable and responded to her hug by wrapping his own arms around her and embraced her back. "Thank you for bringing my auntie to me. She told me everything. I know I don't thank you for everything that you do, but I really do appreciate it. I can't promise that I won't be a bitch to you like I usually am, but I will try to be better. Just don't stop being the sweet guy you always are, okay?"

"As you wish, Asuka," he replied, not too sure where he got that from, but it may have had something to do with a movie Heidi kept watching about some sort of pirate and his friends. His breath caught in his throat, at the next thing Asuka whispered to him.

"I forgive you."

"Thank you, Asuka," he whispered as he did his best to check his emotions. He felt like crying, feeling a huge weight being lifted from his heart. Asuka had finally forgiven him. It sent a huge shot of warmth and courage flowing through his body. It was right then he decided to follow some advise he had just been given to him by a dear friend. "Asuka, I need to tell you something…"

"Yeah, Shinji?" Asuka asked, leaning back some to look into his eyes, eyes that she could get lost in if she wasn't careful. As everyone knew, Asuka was _always_ careful. Not. She wondered if he finally had gotten the courage to tell her what he felt. "What?" she continued softly.

_"Oh, hell, I can't do this! She just now forgave me! What the hell am I thinking?!" _Shinji thought to himself as he stared back at the object of his affection. "Uh, it's nothing! Don't worry about it." He watched as Asuka's smile turned into a familiar smirk as her eyes narrowed for just the tiniest fraction of a second.

"Sure, whatever, Shinji," she replied in her normal tone of voice as she pulled back somewhat, only to discover that Shinji really didn't want to let her go. She smirked some more. "I guess we need to go, Ikari, before anyone sees us and thinks that you reached over and grabbed me! Everyone will then know what kind of pervert you really are!"

"What?!" he barked as he reluctantly began to release his hold on the redhead, " If I remember correctly, you are the one who grabbed me first! Perv!" he teased back, surprising Asuka somewhat before she shot back her reply.

"Yeah, right! Like anyone would believe that! I swear, if you tell anyone about what just happened, I'll shove my EVA's foot so far up your ass you'll never be able to sit in an entry plug again!" Asuka warned as she and the pilot of Unit One finally released their hug.

"As you wish, Asuka," Shinji replied once more, drawing a strange look from his room mate.

"Is that going to be your standard answer from now on, instead of 'sorry'?" she barked as she turned to head out the door. Misato managed to get back quicker than they had expected, and was waiting for them at the curb.

"Perhaps," Shinji answered back as he followed Asuka out the door toward the car. He didn't see the small smile on her face, or the small blush on her cheeks as she muttered one single word softly as she climbed into the front seat.

"Good!"

--

School started days later, and much to their relief, all their friends came back for their first year of High School. Despite all the time the pilots had missed, all four had been promoted to the next grade, on urgings from NERV, of course. Asuka quickly fell back into her previous school behavior: namely acting as if she were God's gift to everyone. Shinji could only smile and see that as a sign of his friend's continuing recovery. Touji came back, not nearly as chipper as he once was, but a certain class rep had helped over the summer, and the two now seemed inseparable, despite Touji still trying to retain a cool image for himself.

Rei came back, and much to everyone's surprise, she seemed much more animated than before, which in her case meant that she actually tried to smile a time or two at her friend's jokes. Shinji would shake his head and chuckle as his sister did what she could to try to fit in and act like a 'regular girl'. Shinji had to remind her that she was a very remarkable girl indeed, and that she should take her time in learning how to fit in. She would always smile and thank Shinji for his concern, stating that he was a 'good big brother' which always made him blush. Rei loved to see him blush.

As for Shinji himself, he tried his best to follow Heidi's advise, but the hurt and pain had scarred him deeply, and wounds like that are hard to heal. He was always there for his friends though, whether it was words of encouragement to Touji or Rei, or watching Kensuke's back whenever the school bullies thought it was a good idea to try to beat up the young otaku. Whenever he saw the blackness try to creep up on Asuka again, which was happening less and less, he would send her a teasing message over their laptops, just to get a rise out of her, or send a file full of cello music to her to listen to. She would always glance back and give him a silent 'thank you'.

Things back at NERV were progressing much slower than things at school were, however. The process of regenerating Unit Zero was going so much slower than anyone had planned, mainly due to the fact that so much of the recovered material had been corrupted by the Angel's DNA. The only truly viable part that had been recovered had been the head, so the growth process was slow. The biggest hassle was going to be finding a suitable human soul to inhabit and animate the EVA. The biggest reason that Rei had ever had problems linking up with Unit Zero was because the soul that animated it was the same one that had sent Rei's first body to the grave. The elder Dr. Akagi hated Rei with a passion, and it was Rei's Angelic side that finally seemed to override her EVA's hesitation to accept her.

Asuka had other problems, unfortunately. It seemed that each and every time she sat in Unit Two's entry plug, or even in a test plug of some sort, images of her battles with the Fifteenth and Sixteenth would come flooding back to haunt her. Her sync ratio finally made it over the borderline to activate her EVA, but just barely. Just as the borderline was breached, it was like she was attacked once more by the Angels, promptly causing the EVA to disconnect from her. Asuka's frustrations mounted more and more every time it happened, and Shinji worked feverishly to keep her from falling back into the abyss that had claimed her months earlier. Shinji finally came up with an idea after some discussion from a recently returned Kaji. Kaji had gotten some information for him concerning the event that lead to both Kyoko's and his mother's accidents. He only hoped he would survive what was to come.

--

_Christmas, 2016 _

Asuka was miserable as she sat in the waiting room just outside the EVA bays. Christmas time was always difficult for her, especially since she had come to Japan. Last Christmas was just completely horrible, seeing how she had been in a self-induced coma at the time. Everything that had lead up to Christmas had been overshadowed by the Angel attacks, destroying what little happiness she could get from the holiday season. Since the death of her mother, Christmas had lost a lot of it's luster, but she could still hold on to a few cherished memories from the times she spent with her Aunt and Grandmother. Now, however, those memories were completely overshadowed by her pain and failure.

"Asuka? Are you okay?" Shinji asked as he watched his friend suddenly jerk from whatever spell she had been under and snap her head around to him, a snarl marring her young face.

"Huh? Of course I'm okay, you idiot!" she snapped at him, her face matching the color of her plugsuit. She was embarrassed that he had seen her space out.

"Oh, okay. It just seemed like you were nervous or something," he replied kindly as he felt his sister reach over and pat his hand. Rei was suited up and sitting next to him, a small smile on her face. Unit Zero wasn't near finished yet, but Dr. Akagi still had her suit up and try to sync up with the EVA, hoping to make some sort of connection that would allow the EVA to activate. He could feel the slight tremble in her hand, that being the only outward sign of her nervousness. Since she had stopped taking the medications that suppressed her humanity, her emotions began to grow and evolve. Right now, unfortunately, she was feeling fear for the first time, the fear of becoming one with the huge life-form known as EVA. Shinji patted her hand back and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I mean, why the hell should I be nervous? I can't seem to sync up with my EVA properly, putting everybody in danger," Asuka muttered to herself. "If this doesn't work, they're going to probably kick me out of NERV and send me back to Germany as a failure! I don't think I could handle that! My life would be meaningless." Shinji looked at her sadly before The Man walked up and handed him a folder titled _Operation: Phoenix_. Shinji set his jaw and turned to Rei, whispering in her ear.

"Rei, I'm about to tell Asuka something that may just result in injury to myself. Whatever you do, please don't interfere, okay?" he asked her softly. She looked at him, confused.

"Why?" she whispered back, concern for her brother evident in her voice.

"It's to help Asuka. Trust me, okay?" Shinji reassured her as he gave her a quick hug. Asuka looked over and snorted in disgust. Having no family close by, she was a bit jealous at seeing Shinji and Rei together.

"What the hell are you two whispering about?" she snarled, her bright blue eyes casting daggers at their direction. "Plotting ways to get rid of me, perhaps?" She was shocked when Shinji got up and took a seat next to her.

"No, Asuka, I was just telling her everything would be alright," Shinji said as he looked into the redhead's eyes, "She's still nervous about crawling back into an EVA, that's all."

"Join the crowd," Asuka mumbled as she leaned forward on her elbows, her head bowed in a moment of weakness. Her hair covered the face, keeping everyone from seeing the expression on her face. "I can't even get my EVA to move, let alone operate in combat." Shinji nodded to himself and braced himself for the pain. He knew he was about to follow the correct, albeit painful, path.

"Asuka," he began, searching for the right words, "I've told you before about how my mother died, right?" Asuka looked up and stared at him questioningly, wondering why he was bringing that up at a time like this. She nodded her head before he continued.

"Yeah, something about a contact experiment with Unit One, right?" Shinji nodded in agreement.

"She was absorbed by the EVA, just like I was during the battle with the Fourteenth. Only, she was never recovered. I know it sound kind of crazy, but I swear there are times I can feel her inside the entry plug. It's kinda like she's watching over me, you know?" Asuka continued to look at him like he had screw loose. "I think that's why it goes into Berserker mode, sometimes. It's trying to protect me!"

"Okay," Asuka responded slowly, her eyes narrowing at her fellow pilot, "just what the hell are you getting at? Why are you telling me this now, huh?" She watched Shinji take a big breath before he spoke once more.

"Uh, well, remember what you told me about your mother? About what happened to her after her contact experiment with Unit Two?" he swallowed nervously. Shinji saw the fire flare up in Asuka's eyes.

"No…"she hissed through gritted teeth, as Shinji continued on.

"What if…"

"Shut up!" she commanded, her fists clinched and trembling with rage.

"…somehow, some part of her…"

"Stop it, you son of a bitch…"she growled even louder, but Shinji refused to stop.

"…bonded with the EVA, acting as it's soul…"

"Ikari, you better…" Asuka seethed, her patience coming to it's limit. Shinji continued, knowing what was to come.

"What if she's in there with you every time?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!" Asuka screamed as she shot up and stood before the Third Child. He saw what was coming and refused to move.

_SLAP_! Asuka backhanded Shinji across the face as hard as she could, sending the young man sprawling across the room and landing in a heap. The redhead was on him in an instant, kicking him in the side. Rei made to get up to help her brother when Shinji turned to her.

"Rei! No! Stay out of this!" he pleaded as Asuka squatted down and grabbed him by his collar, bringing him close to her face.

"Don't you EVER talk about my mother again, you hear me, Ikari?!" Asuka spat in his face in anger. The Coward tried to show his face, but The Man gave him a roundhouse kick that sent him back to the shadows. Shinji gulped as he tasted the blood in his mouth before continuing.

"Asuka, listen! " she slapped him again, but he fought onward, "She's the soul that activates the EVA!" Asuka punched him in the stomach, causing him to lose his breath.

"I said shut up! " she snarled once more as she pulled him to his feet, looking into his bruised face. His eyes continued to lock onto hers.

"You need to accept it, Asuka…AAARGH!" Shinji moaned as the Second Child kneed him in the groin, doubling him over. He refused to give up. "You have to open you heart and mind to her if you want to activate the EVA properly." At this, Asuka began to beat him mercilessly, slapping and punching him, releasing all her rage and frustrations on the young man who refused to raise a hand to defend himself. Once he fell to the floor, she began to kick him, screaming and raging the whole time. Finally, her anger spent, she stood before the battered form of her fellow pilot, glaring down at him. She heard muffled crying coming from behind her, turning around she saw Rei standing, her hands covering her mouth and tears pouring down her face. A sudden realization hit her of what she had just done, and she cursed herself for losing control. She looked back down at Shinji, the horror of what she had done slowly sank in. She had attacked her friend and fellow pilot. She wouldn't blame them if NERV kicked her out and her friends disowned her. Her world had finally fallen apart.

"What the HELL is going on here?!" Misato demanded as the door to the room flew open, revealing a very angry Major. "Asuka? What the hell did you do to Shinji?"

"Misato, I…uh…" Asuka began, knowing that it was over, everything was lost.

"I tripped, Misato," Shinji spoke up as he pulled himself up from the floor, his face covered in bruises and cuts. "Asuka was try to help me up, just now," he said as he held out his hand, which Asuka quickly reached out and grabbed, pulling him up the rest of the way.

"You tripped?" Misato snarled, her arms crossed as she continued to glare at Asuka.

"Yeah, over my own two feet. Clumsy me!" he laughed, putting his hand behind his head and wincing somewhat. Rei made a move to go to her brother before a look from Shinji stopped her.

"Really?," Misato replied, clearly not convinced, especially since she saw the whole thing on the monitors in the lab. Turning to the blue-haired girl with puffy red eyes, Misato interrogated Rei. "Rei, is that true? Did Shinji trip over his own two feet?"

"Uh," Rei began, as she turned to Shinji, who nodded his head ever so slightly, "yes, Shinji was quite clumsy, Major." Misato's jaw dropped. She never expected Rei to flat out lie to her.

"I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I WILL get to the bottom of it later!" Misato seethed as she glared at all three pilots, who unconsciously huddled together in an act of unity and self-preservation. "Alright, you three, fall out for your tests!" Misato spun on her heel and stormed out of the room.

"Shinji, I…uh," Asuka began to stammer, but she was cut off as Rei deliberately got between her and the pilot of Unit One. Rei sent a glare to the stricken redhead as she reached out and took her brother by the arm and lead him out of the room and towards the EVA bays. Asuka was taken aback somewhat by the blue-haired girl's behavior, but Asuka knew that she deserved whatever anger was directed at her.

--

Asuka always hated the taste of LCL. She could never really place the taste before until Shinji made a comment one day about it tasting and smelling like blood. Now, the taste made her want to gag, but she pulled her thoughts away from the taste and concentrated on trying to get her EVA to move. The start up sequence went as planned, as Asuka sank back into the mental state needed to sync with the huge artificial bio-form. However, no sooner had the borderline been breached then the memories once more reached out and assaulted her. She tried as hard as she could to hold them back, to fight with everything she was worth, but it was to no avail. Her EVA promptly shut back down, leaving her alone in her entry plug with nothing but the emergency lights to keep her occupied. She was at her wits end as she continued to sit there and try to fight back the tears that were trying to force their way from her eyes.

"Contact re-established," she heard the voice of Maya Ibuki call out over the com channel as the power once more flowed into the entry plug.

"Is she still in there?" the voice of Dr. Akagi called out over the open mike, causing Asuka's anger to flare.

"Yeah, I'm still here," she barked back as she glared into her video screens at the faux blonde, "for all that's worth," she muttered softly.

"Okay, we'll try again in a few minutes, Asuka," Dr. Akagi said as she turned back to Maya. "If she doesn't make it next time, we'll have to drop her from the combat rolls, and maybe even the entire program!"

"I can still hear you, you know!" Asuka yelled into the com line, her anger and fear taking on unheard of dimensions. "I'll show you! I'll prove who's the best pilot!" Inside, Asuka wanted to curl up in a ball and die.

"Oops!" Maya chirped as she quickly cut the feed to the control room. Asuka fumed as she turned and watched her fellow pilots over the view screens. Rei still was making absolutely no head way with Unit Zero, while Shinji's sync level showed him at a good seventy-four percent.

"Shinji," Asuka croaked, still feeling awful whenever she saw the bruises and cuts on his face. One eye was almost swollen shut, and his lip was split, but he managed to look back at her with a small smile on his face.

"Hey Asuka, you okay?" Shinji asked, concern clearly evident in his eyes. He watched as she seemed to tremble somewhat, biting her lower lips.

"Well, it looks like you're going to end up being the Number One pilot after all," she managed to say past the lump that was growing in her throat, "If I can't get this thing to work on the next try, they're going to kick me out!" Shinji thought he heard a small sob, but with the distortion created by the LCL, he couldn't be sure.

"Asuka, please, I know it sounds far-fetched, but please give my idea a try! I don't want to see you leave! All you have to do is open your mind up to the EVA!" Shinji implored as a flicker of doubt flashed across Asuka's eyes.

"You know," Asuka snorted, "that sounds an awful lot like what Rei told me last year!"

"The same holds true now as it did then, Soryu," Rei responded over the line, angering Asuka a bit. She didn't realize that the line to Unit Zero was open. Before Asuka could yell back at his sister, Shinji spoke up.

"Asuka, I really think it will work, just watch my ratio the next few minutes and see, okay? Please?" Asuka rolled her eyes, but silently nodded her head in agreement.

"_Okay, mother, if we're going to do this, we really need to do it now! Asuka is counting on us_!" Shinji thought as he slowly opened the barriers to his heart and mind, feeling the warm caress of his mother's spirit pour over him and urge through the body of the EVA.

"Dr. Akagi! Shinji's sync ratio has just jumped to ninety-nine percent!" Maya called out over the com lines. Asuka's eyes bulged as she watched Shinji's ratio climb and remain steady , achieving a level Asuka could only dream about.

"Does it show any sign of climbing any higher?!" Dr. Akagi barked nervously, fearing a repeat of the events that led to Shinji being absorbed by Unit One. Maya quickly shook her head in the negative.

"_My Shinji_," a soft voice called out in Shinji's head, "_My special little boy! I have missed you!_"

"_I've missed you too, Mother_!" He replied as he felt his spirit float in a sea of LCL as he was gently embraced by loving arms. He felt the warmth of his mother's smile as she looked down proudly at him.

"_I see you're here to help Kyoko's daughter, despite the fear you have of what happened last time_," Yui's voice said as it surrounded him, "_How that truly warms my heart! Come, we have much to discuss…,_"

"Sync ratio is starting to come back down," Maya called back out after about a minute had passed, "It's leveling out to about eighty percent!"

"Thank goodness!" Akagi exclaimed as she turned her attention back to Shinji. "Is everything alright in there, Shinji?"

"Everything's alright, Dr. Akagi," Shinji replied with a sad smile on his face. While only a minute had passed in real-time, several hours had passed in his mind while his mother had let him in on many secrets that had been kept from him, including the true reason for her demise. Quickly, he opened a secure line to Unit Two. "Asuka!"

"What the hell just happened, Shinji?" the redhead asked, very worried about her friend.

"Just what I said earlier, I opened myself up to the EVA," he replied, a sad look still in his eyes. "Asuka, please just try! What will you lose by doing so?" He watched as Asuka continued to bite her lip, then nod in agreement.

"Dr. Akagi? I'm ready to give it another try!" she stated defiantly as she went about resetting her controls for a restart. She watched as the doctor looked at her dubiously, before barking orders for the restart. As the power began to build, Asuka sank back into the necessary state of mind to allow her to sync with the EVA.

"We are now at the threshold for EVA startup!" Maya exclaimed as the borderline was breached. "We have synchronization!" Asuka felt the familiar sensations once more of being one with her EVA, but the memories began to attack her once more. In desperation, she thought back to what Shinji said.

"_Momma_?" she called out with her mind, not expecting anything to happen, as the memories of the mind rape bore down upon her. _"Momma!!" _Suddenly, a warm feeling began to surround her as a righteous fury began to build up all around her. Just as the memories began to break through her defenses, a bloodcurdling roar was heard, and a creature of light dove from the darkness and physically attacked the memories head on. The claws and teeth of the beast tore the memories to shreds, forcing them to vanish like snowflakes on a warm spring day.

"Holy shit! Dr. Akagi! The sync ratio for Unit Two have shot up to ninety-five percent and is still rising!" Maya called back out, causing numerous voices to yell out over the com line.

"What the hell is going on here?! And what the hell is that?!" the doctor asked as she watched a monitor situated next to Maya. "What is that waveform?"

"Unknown!" Makoto called back from behind the startled doctor. "It's not a normal reading!"

"Dr. Akagi! The Magi have just listed that waveform as Type: Blue! It appears to be a remnant of the Fifteenth!" Aoba called out as soon as he got the readings back from the Magi.

"Mental contamination?! You mean it remained dormant within Asuka all this time?" Misato screeched, her eyes ready to pop from her head.

"Not Asuka! The EVA!" Maya replied as she watched the combined waveforms of Asuka and the EVA obliterate the Angelic remnant.

"It may have been a booby trap to keep Asuka from synchronizing with her EVA ever again!" Akagi barked as she watched the readings coming from the EVA.

"Is that why the Seventeenth was able to sync with Unit Two so easily?" Misato asked as she felt like a hand of steel hand had reached into her chest and grabbed her heart. She worried for her young charge.

"It's possible! Whatever just happened, it seems that the pilot and the EVA have managed to completely obliterate the angelic remnant!" Akagi replied, still watching the monitors.

"Is Asuka okay?" Shinji yelled over the com-line, looking as if her were ready to tear himself from his entry plug and rush over to help the redhead. "Somebody answer me!"

"I'm…I'm okay, Shinji," he heard Asuka gasp as her eyes finally opened, seemingly filled with more life than they had been for over a year. "I'm okay, now!"

"Sync levels are coming back down and are leveling out to around eighty-five percent," Maya called out over the din of voices that were doing their best to be heard over all others. "Pilot and EVA seem to be functioning perfectly!"

"Gee, thanks for that vote of confidence!" Asuka smirked, her eyes now closed, but a gentle smile on her face. Shinji just shook his head and chuckled slightly at his friend's words.

"All traces of the foreign waveform have been obliterated," Makoto announced as he received the data back from the MAGI, "Scanners show both EVA and pilot free from Angelic influences!"

"Thank god," Misato muttered as she fell into the nearest chair and wiped the sweat from her brow. Her heart began to slow down to a more normal rate. She watched as Asuka continued to relax and merge with her EVA.

--

Shinji winced as he carefully pulled his shirt back on, doing his best to avoid the sore ribs on his right side. Asuka had really beaten the snot out of him, and the cold LCL of the entry plug had done nothing whatsoever to help his pain. The hot shower that he had reluctantly just left had eased the pain in his body somewhat, but getting dressed to head back home quickly reminded him of his condition.

"Shinji, are you well?" he heard Rei ask from the other side of the curtain that separated the two halves of the locker room. Shinji grunted before answering his sister.

"I'm fine, Rei! Don't worry about me," he answered back as he slowly bent over and put his shoes on. "I'll be out in a little bit, okay? I just need to rest a bit."

"If Soryu tries anything again…" Rei growled, which startled the hell out of Shinji. He had never heard his sister that angry before.

"It alright, Rei! I knew what was going to happen when I told her what I did," Shinji replied as he carefully sat down on the bench, gasping slightly as his nether regions made contact with the solid surface.

"Don't worry, First Child, I won't hurt your _precious_ Shinji," he heard Asuka snap as she came out of the showers. Shinji lowered his head and shook it slowly. He was afraid of what was about to happen on the other side of the curtain.

"You had better not, Soryu," he heard Rei _snarl_ , "He tried to help you and you answered him with violence! I do not know what my brother sees in you!" Shinji heard Asuka gasp.

"Just what the hell does that mean, you stupid doll?!"

"I am not a doll!" Rei spat back, "You are not a very nice person!"

"WHAT!? Get your ass back here, Ayanami! Ayanami!" Asuka screamed, but was answered by the slamming of the locker room door. "Little bitch!"

"She's not a bitch, Asuka," Shinji popped back, standing up for his sister, " She may not have good control of her emotions just yet, but she's doing her best! She's just trying to look after me, that's all!" He heard Asuka huff and watched her silhouette through the screen as she sat down on the bench.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Asuka replied softly as she calmed down somewhat. She sat there quietly for a few moments before speaking up again. "Hey, Shinji?"

"Yes, Asuka?" he answered, still sitting on the bench on his side. He was having trouble gathering the strength to stand.

"About earlier…" she began, but Shinji cut her off.

"Don't worry about it, Asuka."

"NO! I have to!" she said loudly, "Look, I'm sorry about earlier, I know you were just trying to help."

"Did it, help I mean?" the young man asked hopefully.

"Yes, it did, you big dummy! You gave me my purpose and my mother back!" she chuckled, joined quickly by Shinji. "Do me a favor?"

"Sure thing, Asuka. Whatcha need?" Shinji replied eagerly, causing his friend on the other side of the curtain to smile.

"No matter how much of a bitch I am, don't give up on me, okay?" she asked softly, causing Shinji to smile. "Just keep on being the great guy you are, okay?"

"As you wish, Asuka," he replied as he stood from the bench to walk to the door.

"One more thing…"

"_Uh oh_," he thought as he paused in the doorway.

"If you ever tell anyone what I just said, especially your sister…" Asuka growled as Shinji saw her silhouette raise a fist and shake it.

"I know, I know," he replied before stepping out, "Merry Christmas, Asuka!"

"Merry Christmas, Shinji….."

--

_The Present _

"You got everything ready, Asuka?" Shinji called out from the bathroom as he gather up the rest of their toiletries and walked back into the bedroom. He watched with an amused smile as his wife was sitting on her suitcase, trying to force it down to secure it.

"I think so," she replied as she looked up and saw the look on Shinji's face. "What the hell is so funny?" Her husband began to chuckle.

"Nothing, Asuka, nothing at all," he replied as walked over to the bag setting on his bed and carefully packed what he had gathered. "You know, if you hadn't bought so much this week, you'd be able to close your suitcase."

"Oh, shut up!" Asuka shot back as she was finally able to close the latch on the case. " I had to get a few souvenirs, you know! I didn't here you complain about that little outfit I bought the other day!" A blush on his cheeks grew, showing Asuka she had just scored a direct hit.

"Uh, well," he stammered as he began to check all the drawers and closets, making sure nothing was left behind.

"I told you I got everything," Asuka huffed as she watched Shinji look behind the dressers and under the bed, "Don't you trust your own wife?"

"It's not that, it's just…" Shinji glanced up and spotted something, before jumping on the bed and reaching up into the light fixture that hung over it. "Ah ha!"

"What?" Asuka wondered as her husband got off the bed and presented her with her favorite pair of panties, a lacey black thong that she knew drove Shinji wild. She blushed ten shades of red, remembering why that particular pair ended up in the light fixture.

"Eep!" she squeaked as she snatched them from Shinji's hand and stuffed them in her purse. He really hoped that nobody at the airport wanted to search her purse before they got on the plane to head back to Tokyo-3. It would make for an interesting discussion. "Thanks, baby! Those are my favorite pair!"

"No problem, hon," he replied as he took her in his arms and lightly kissed her before pulling back to look into her eyes. "They're mine, too!," Shinji wiggled his eyebrows. Both teens giggled as they turned to look out the balcony door for the last time.

"I'm going to miss this place," Asuka said as she melted back into Shinji's arms.

"Me too," he replied as he held her close, " but it'll be good to get back home, back into our own bed."

"And see our family, too. I miss Misato, Rei, and Heidi," Asuka added. She and Shinji turned as a knock on the door announced the arrival of the bellhop to pick up their luggage. After several minutes, they were left alone in the room where they first consummated their love. Kissing each other once more, the two pilots took each other's hand and walked out the door, heading back to their new life in Tokyo-3.

End of Part Eight.

_**A/N**: First off, I'd like to apologize to all my fans for taking so long to get this chapter written and posted. Unfortunately, real life has a hell of a way to really screw up personal schedules. I wanted to write this chapter months ago, but it was just so damn hard for some reason. It may be because it's the first part of the next major part of the story, I don't know. I was only able to put in about half of what I really wanted to in this chapter. The rest will be add to the next chapters._

_I worked on some of my other fics first to get back into the swing of things, but it's hard to shake off depression. A lot of things happened in my personal life that really kicked me in the nads, the worst of which was the medical problems of my oldest son, then the medical problems I seemed to have developed lately ( Kidney stones really SUCK!). So, I beg you forgiveness and pray for your indulgences as I present the next part of 'Father'. I hope I haven't disappointed! Lord Talon._


End file.
